The Princess Bride
by Quackquill
Summary: Sakura's a normal villager, and like all girls, adores the kingtobe and wishes to be his bride...but one day, she finds out that she's a princess and is the prince's bride. And in the castle, she falls in love with...the prince's brother.
1. The Prince's Birthday

Chapter 1: The Prince's Birthday

The Princess Bride

Sakura's a normal villager in a little village, like all other girls, adoring the king-to-be, wishing that they were the prince's bride… but then one day she finds herself trying to embrace the fact that she's a princess, she _is _the prince's bride. But while living in the castle… she begins to fall in love with, not the prince, but the _prince's brother_.

**Quackquill's quilly notes**: THIS IS **NOT** BASED ON WILLIAM GOLDMAN'S BOOK THE PRINCESS BRIDE, THIS IS A TOTALLY DIFFERENT STORY WITH NOTHING TO DO WITH THAT BOOK besides a few things.

Enjoy. Cry. Laugh. Smile. _Read._

-------------

"Happy Birthday…"

Sakura sighed, placing her bouquet of flowers in front of her carefully. Who was she giving this to, not like he would ever receive it anyways…

She looked up, gazing dreamily at the handsome face, studying his features and his brown hair, so perfectly ruffled up.

She quietly stood up and opened the door, letting her last words linger in the room, "Happy Birthday my beloved Prince Syaoran…"

Although the words clung onto it tightly, the picture on the wall did not respond. It was a hopeless love.

-

"Yuki!" Sakura beamed, running over to him, "Oh Yuki, I'm so glad you came!"

The little white-haired boy grinned, his child freckles smiling along, "I broke every rule there was, just to come with you sis."

"We're off to the fields," She said a bit dreamily, "Dance all the way through his birthday. Isn't it brilliant?"

Yuki rolled his eyes and snorted, "Oh yes. Brilliant. Who cares about the Prince anyways?"

Sakura clasped her hands together and squealed excitedly, "I do! All the girls here do! How could anyone not, he's so _handsome_! He's the _prince_!"

"But he'll totally stink as a ruler!"

Sakura waved her hand carelessly, "That doesn't matter. It's only a year before he's going to be crowned, when he gets his…" She stopped midway, her cheeks flushing.

"Bride." Yuki heaved a big sigh, "Yeah, yeah, everyone knows."

"Yes. A bride. And he can learn to be a very good ruler within a year. Besides, it's his seventeenth birthday, I'm sure he's a much wiser Prince. But he'll always be the handsome man I know."

"Arrogant."

"He is not. He is perfectly perfect. You don't know him."

"Neither do you."

"Oh yes I do, I have heard every single girl gossip about him and treasured it in my mind! But most of them I know are lies, and what those haughty men say about him all the time, they're just jealous that he's so good looking."

Yuki didn't say anymore, he knew he would never win if it was about 'Prince Syaoran', Sakura would not be persuaded that he was the opposite of what she believed he was.

He turned around, hearing footsteps, "The Mistress!" He whispered to Sakura, and then dove into the nearest bush.

Sakura was about to do the same, but then she heard the rapping behind her.

Sakura turned around slowly… a stiff lump in her throat.

"Miss Sakura." The shrewd woman tapped her stick upon the floor, "What are you doing, walking without an escort? You were supposed to leave the board houses a quarter of an hour ago."

"I… I… I was getting ready, and I… I was late…" Sakura's throat felt dry.

"I'll shall not let you go without a punishment. Being late is unacceptable. You shall head back to the boarding houses immediately and begin scrubbing the third floor and I—"

A deep voice interrupted, "Pardon me miss, but is there a problem?"

The Mistress turned around, "Yes there…" Her mouth opened like a fish, "Oh, ah… ah… Count sir," She stuttered, "I… um… this young lady…"

"She was late, I understand. Please give her the punishment tomorrow, today is the Prince's birthday. A day to be celebrated. Thank you for taking my advice." He stepped past her without needing her reply, taking Sakura's arm and winking at the hidden face in the bushes.

After they had walked away from the Mistress's sight, Sakura burst out laughing.

"Thank you for saving me again Touya!"

The Count grinned and gave her a pat on her head, "You'd better be careful, you and Yuki. I can't always be there."

Yuki, who had been crawling on the floor, stood up and joined them, "Phew, I thought that lady would eat sis's livers!"

Sakura laughed again, but then said gloomily, "She always likes to pick on me… I always get in trouble."

Touya only kept grinning, "One day she'll look up to you, no, she'll _have_ to."

Sakura stared at him funny, what was he talking about? How would he know…? But she didn't say anything about it, or ask anything, just kept walking and laughing and talking with him.

Touya seemed like a big brother to her, he had always taken care of her since her mother died, he was too young to be a father, more like a brother. Big, strong, and nice, funny too, always protecting her. But that still didn't always stop the Mistress from snapping at her.

And Yuki, the most adorable little boy she had ever met. Her smaller brother that called her 'Sis', she loved it.

She loved her two brothers… she knew they weren't her real brothers, but she felt so happy with them and she felt like they were her own family.

Since Yuki was a foot shorter than Sakura, Touya gave him a piggyback ride, making Sakura laugh. "A Count giving a small boy a piggyback ride!"

-

The field wasn't a field anymore, it was brimming with excitement and drunk dancers, and lights. The lights were hung up, glowing bright through the glass colors, and scented with cinnamon and spice. There were kegs of beer, and pig wrestling, and rowdiness everywhere. It was a time to celebrate, it was _the Prince's Birthday, _a grand time to celebrate.

Yuki and Sakura were dancing a little away from the field, with less music and shouts and laughter, they danced together for hours, and then fell into a pile of hay, laughing their heads off.

"It's so much funner here than there, it's so loud there, and these old guys try to pick dances with me." Sakura scrunched up her nose.

Yuki lay beside her, giggling, his own freckles smiling and glittering under the candlelight, "I like this, it feels like Halloween." He turned to lay on his tummy, "But Halloween is _much_ more funner."

Sakura turned onto her belly immediately, "That's not true! The Prince's Birthday is much more important, much more enjoyable, much more—"

"How old will the Prince turn this year."

"Seventeen of course…" Sakura turned to see Touya again, standing there, not under the brightness of the candlelight but in the shade, in the moonlight, not far away, but he felt so far away…

"And you? How old will you turn this year?" He inquired, his voice not playful, but sober.

"Sixteen, the day following tomorrow." It felt strange, he was just asking birthdays and ages, but it just felt so weird.

"So soon…" He muttered, but she could hear him, but didn't understand, she didn't really want to understand.

Yuki was falling asleep, he moaned gently, "Halloween… has candy… and… pumpkins…" He snored and Sakura knew he had fallen asleep.

"It's late." Touya turned back to leave, "You should go home."

She protested, "It's not so late, everyone's going to stay up till midnight!"

"It's already midnight." He was farther away now, the moonlight didn't touch him anymore.

"It is?" She looked up, the moon was in the center of the sky, there were no stars, no clouds, a clear, moon in the dark, violet sky, lightened by the bonfires and the candles of the field. The spice was dying away… now she smelled the trees and the grass, the moon…

"Well, they're not going back." She directed her head to the merry dancers and fiddlers and drunksters.

"You need to go back." He was walking slowly, she couldn't even tell if he was walking or not, his feet didn't move very much, her vision was getting dizzy.

Her head began to hurt, she was tired, she had eaten so much, twirled around so much… talked so much… laughed so much… adored and thought and dreamt about the prince… it wouldn't hurt to dream now, would it?

"Could you… carry us back home?" Her last words floated out distantly in the air as she collapsed onto the hay again, right beside Yuki.

_Prince… Syaoran…_

-

"Keep scrubbing that floor, it's still so dusty! You worthless rag of dirt, hurry with it!"

The mistress was watching over the poor young girl, scrubbing against the wooden boards and wiping away the cobwebs and bugs that were awakened.

A few girls hurried by, gossiping in their high-pitched, whispery voices. Some laughed at the girl, some pitied her, but no one could do anything.

The Mistress scowled when the girl paused to rub her eyes, "I never gave you permission to pause!" She kicked the girl with her boot, "Get back to work!"

She was pushed again since she had kept rubbing her eye, and this time she screamed inside her throat and held out her hand to keep her from falling, pushing over the pail of water.

"You…" The mistress screeched, then pulled the girl's hair and yanked her up to her knees, glaring at her with hatred, "You just wasted another pail of water! You did that on purpose, didn't you!"

"No, I—"

The mistress slapped hard against the girl's cheek, "You nasty filth!"

The girl stumbled back, keeping her head down.

"Mistress!" A voice called from down below, "Someone has come to see you!"

The Mistress looked up with shock, straightened her skirt and tidied her hair, rubbing her eyes to lose the hatred in them, she gave a hiss at the girl, "Keep working."

The girl rubbed her eyes as she listened to the Mistress go down the stairs quickly, then exclaiming in surprise of who it was. She didn't care, she didn't care a shit about it. Why was the Mistress making her do this? Making her scrub the dirtiest floors of the entire boarding house, continuously picking on _her. _She had never seen the Mistress pick on anyone as much as her, she wished she could see Yuki, or Touya again, but Touya was the Count, out busy, and Yuki was in the boy boarding houses.

She sniffed, she wished the Prince's Birthday had never ended… she wished she could have stayed free for the whole day forever, she wished she could have danced and danced and danced with Yuki and Touya forever, and laughed merrily and cheerily forever.

Her heart began wandering off now, as she slowly scrubbed, deep in her dreams again. _I wish I could see the Prince… for real. I have all the pictures of him, oh yes, I have them all… I know all the giggles and rumors about him, and I have memorized every detail of his face… I wish I could really meet him… I wish… I wish he loved me…_

But she gave out a silent chuckle, "What silly, foolish dreams, no wonder the Mistress likes picking on me."

But then she began her silent sobbing once again, making sure that the Mistress, and everyone else in the world, wouldn't hear her cries of pain.

------------------

End of Chapter 1

* * *

haha, i know i suck. im doing terrible with two stories, and now its three. of course, all of them are for fun, so i hope you just have 'fun' reading all my fanfics as well. (plus review on ideas, concerns and etc are sooo helpful). i began this one a longg time ago. i reread it, liked the idea and hoped others might too. so hopefully ill keep this one continuing! this first chapter is extremely odd though. 


	2. Princess Sakura

Chapter 2: Princess Sakura

The Princess Bride

Sakura's a normal villager in a little village, like all other girls, adoring the king-to-be, wishing that they were the prince's bride… but then one day she finds herself trying to embrace the fact that she's a princess, she _is _the prince's bride. But while living in the castle… she begins to fall in love with, not the prince, but the _prince's brother_.

**Quackquill's quilly notes**: THIS IS **NOT** BASED ON WILLIAM GOLDMAN'S BOOK THE PRINCESS BRIDE, THIS IS A TOTALLY DIFFERENT STORY WITH NOTHING TO DO WITH THAT BOOK besides a few things.

Enjoy. Cry. Laugh. Smile. _Read._

-------------

Sakura opened the door slightly. "What's that? Over there… on the ridge?"

The Mistress was about to slap the girl silly for asking so many questions, for opening the door without permission, but her jaw dropped the second she peered outside the door.

"Oh my god! Good heavens! The angel or devil… I don't know which one sent it down! And to see us… to see US!" She picked up her skirts and began running up the stairs screaming, "EVERYONE! PUT ON SOMETHING PROPER! LOOK PROPER! LOOK YOUR BEST! BE DOING SOMETHING USEFUL! QUICKLY NOW!" She didn't even notice Sakura still questioning and gaping curiously at the carriage.

"What is it? Someone tell me!"

"It's a carriage!" A girl answered hastily and obviously annoyed.

"A carriage…?" Sakura opened the door a little more.

"A _royal_ carriage!" She cried.

This stunned her, for she had never seen one… and by royal… did she mean… like a prince's carriage?

She rushed up the stairs, darted into her room, and tossed her clothes around, digging for some sort of decent clothing. She yanked something pretty on and brushed her short hair quickly, smoothened the creases on her dress and ran down the stairs. There was too much traffic and she wasn't able to go to the very bottom, she stood on the stairway tiptoeing to see what on earth was going on.

The door opened and a few girls gasped, but it was only the Count, Touya.

"Touya!" Sakura exclaimed happily, waving her hand.

But he did not return the happy gesture, glancing at her only briefly with a grim and sober face, just like on the night of the Prince's Birthday.

He was talking to the Mistress… her face flushed with excitement and wonder.

"Oh, who is it?" One of the girls muttered and pushed her way through.

"It's the king!"

"You dummy, how can it be the king? The king's _dead_! He died ten years ago!"

"Then the prince! The king-to-be."

"Oh, the prince! I want to meet the prince!"

Sakura felt her cheeks burning, the prince… Prince Syaoran? The king-to-be? She felt jittery, and then nervous, and then excited, and then… curious. What would he be doing here? Oh, but how she wanted the see the prince more than anything! To see him... to have him glance at her… she imagined it thoroughly.

He was getting off his carriage, right there… in person! Stepping out with glamour carved in every angle of his body… in every way he moved. He was clothed fashionably in robes of gold encrusted with jewels and fur. He would walk down the unpaved road smoothly, with a few guards walking along beside him, in front of him, and behind him, sticking to him like flies around a juicy pear. She would gasp the second he turned his way… and then their eyes would meet. Perhaps only for a second, but just enough to make her heart flutter and beat like butterfly wings.

But she had not imagined it.

She was in the crowd, standing on her tippy-toes, eager to see him, what she had imagined was not imagined, it was _real_. It had _happened._

He, _Prince Syaoran, _had just looked her way! They had met eyes, she had felt the beating impulse, she had actually… _looked into the Prince's Eyes!_

She couldn't gasp in air, for he had continued to stare at her… and she could not tear her eyes away. He was stepping toward her, closer and closer.

The girls were all giggly and gasping, but they stepped aside, seeing that he was not looking at them.

And then he was in front of her.

In front of her, standing there, he was looking only a centimeter down at her, shorter than I imagined, she thought, but still gazed in awe. 

His face was solemn, his eyes staring intently in her own, he reached out for her hand and she let him take it unconsciously…

And then he did the most absurd thing. He did something that she swore she would never forget…

He _kissed _the hand. He leaned down to let his lips press the rough hands softly. But it was light and quick, and then he was staring at her again.

She couldn't breathe, she felt her cheeks flush with warmth greater than a kindling fire and her heart… it was beating so fast but she could not feel it. She couldn't grasp it, it was just too great for her.

He had _kissed _her on the hand! He, the Prince, he who she had admired and longed for, for years! She wanted to swoon, to yelp in joy, to do anything… but be silent and amazed and shocked to death.

And to make matters worse, he gave a slight smile and a lovely bow.

"Princess Kinomoto."

-

The crowd all gasped, stunned.

"Princess Kinomoto."

To be addressed this title… this strange, odd, but beautiful young girl? A normal girl, a _village _girl, who scrubbed the wooden floors and danced in the fields with a midnight blue cotton dress, definitely not fit enough for a _princess._

Sakura herself seemed to have entirely stopped breathing, entirely stopped living.

It was the striding Count who was brave enough, and oddly not surprised, who had brought her back to life again.

"Ah, the Prince." He bowed curtly, and then turned to touch Sakura's shoulder, "Sakura, please come back to earth."

Sakura felt herself take in another gasping breath, and then let it out. He could feel it that she was less tense now that he was with her.

The Prince looked over at Touya with a cold, but humorous look, "Ah, the Count." He did not bow back, but instead stared at Sakura again, "You do realize, it is time?"

Touya's eyes shifted smoothly as he studied the crowd, "We should not discuss in public."

At this, the Prince seemed to also have come alive, he was beaming, "Oh, but I enjoy speaking in public, I love to see the commoners."

Several of the girls giggled, but most of them still gaping at Sakura. Sakura was gaping at the Prince still herself, and now at Touya.

"What's going on…?" She barely whispered, but could not keep herself from speaking.

"Come, to the inside." Touya led her into the building again.

The Prince followed obligingly up the flight of stairs.

Touya looked down at the crowd that was following them, he roared, "ALONE! OUT! ALL OF YOU!"

Sakura felt that it wasn't necessary to shout… but her mind was too confused and muddled to say it or to really think it, she didn't know why he was screaming… she didn't know who she was… she didn't understand why her long-love was suddenly talking to her… her fantasy love actually, but now… real? Actual? Her head was swimming about and she was getting dizzy.

"What's going on?" She asked again, this time a bit more confidently and loudly now that they had reached the room.

The Prince smiled, "You're betrothed to me."

"Hem hem." Touya gave a little annoyed cough, "Yes, you were Sakura."

"Betrothed to…" Her eyes widened and she was goggling at the Prince, "_I'm betrothed to you?_" She couldn't believe it… "Is this a joke?" She felt herself teetering over her own feet…

Touya frowned, "No, this is for real Sakura."

The Prince smiled lazily, then reached out for Sakura's hand, "Say yes to me, and we shall be permanently… forever… deeply in love… betrothed."

Sakura felt her cheeks growing hot again, and she could not help but to let out a "Yes…"

Her eyes mesmerized by his own… she was lost in them… in love… "Exactly like the ones in the picture" She thought to herself.

But then she woke up and then demanded for an explanation, "But, how? How am I betrothed to… to a… to a Prince?"

Touya looked away, "You're a Princess."

She had heard the Prince say that, but she had not believed it… now she was pale stricken, confused and bemused. She didn't understand. How could anyone? This was… this was unexpected! Totally out of the blue!

"I… I don't get how I'm a princess!"

Touya glared at the Prince, who understood what the glowering meant, but did not budge to move.

"Get out." Touya growled.

The Prince disliked the growl, and only smiled, "You can't make me do what I don't want to do. I'm the Prince."

"You arrogant bitch…" He muttered under his breath, glowering at the Prince a bit more, but then returned to Sakura, still annoyed.

"Your mother… she was a princess. She was married to the prince about to be the king, but she ran off with another man and…"

"And I was born." Sakura inhaled quietly.

"Your parents weren't married and the man was found and killed, but your mother was able to stay in hiding."

Sakura thought to herself, "I'm a bastard… I knew that before but… it seems so shocking right now."

"The prince decided to marry another girl instead anyways, and he became king, but before he died, he wanted the mother and the child found."

"My mother died."

"He found that out.

Sakura stared at him, "How?"

"I told him."

Sakura was gaping at him again.

"He wanted the child to be married to one of his sons."

"But… but why? Why did he want me married to him when my mother betrayed him? And… and why didn't I go live with royalty?"

Touya looked around unsteadily, the Prince had dozed off into sleep, his fanners fanning him and placing him in his comfy chair (that they had brought all the way from the palace, along with many other things.)

"He didn't have you go live with them because I persuaded him that it would be better off for you to live here."

Sakura bit her lip, it was true… she really loved it here in the country side, it was just the Mistress that she hated…

"And he had to betroth you to one of his sons. You're Kinomoto blood, following a line of the most beautiful women. All the Princes are married to or betrothed to a Kinomoto."

He touched her cheek so Sakura would look at him, "And you… you are the last of them all."

Sakura's eyes were gleaming with tears, it was all too much for her… too much to bear, it was exciting, it was shocking… it was… it was scary.

"How do you know all this." She whispered, her throat dry as though she had eaten chalk.

Touya looked down into her eyes, eyes unwavering, unblinking, "Because I'm your Uncle."

------------------

End of Chapter 1

* * *

Author's Notes: How does this work exactly? Touya was Sakura's mom's younger brother. He was eleven years younger. Sakura's mom had Sakura when she was 17. Sixteen years later… Sakura's sixteen and Touya's twenty-two. Still young, eh? hehe. meheheh, this chapter's confusing.

Also, about my summary, someone mentioned that its confusing. i think you're trying to say that the _plot_ is confusing (or that's what im thinking at least)? Well, beware of lots of twists, because i assure all of you...this is an SxS pairing story. -evil grin- But either way, yes my summary's confusing. hopefully i'll fix it, hopefully.

And finally... thank you to those who reviewed, comments are always _always_ helpful to me.


	3. Farewell

Chapter 3: Farewell

The Princess Bride

Sakura's a normal villager in a little village, like all other girls, adoring the king-to-be, wishing that they were the prince's bride… but then one day she finds herself trying to embrace the fact that she's a princess, she _is _the prince's bride. But while living in the castle… she begins to fall in love with, not the prince, but the _prince's brother_.

**Quackquill's quilly notes**: THIS IS **NOT** BASED ON WILLIAM GOLDMAN'S BOOK THE PRINCESS BRIDE, THIS IS A TOTALLY DIFFERENT STORY WITH NOTHING TO DO WITH THAT BOOK besides a few things.

Enjoy. Cry. Laugh. Smile. _Read._

-------------

"I don't get any of this!" She sobbed, leaping onto her bed, crying.

She was to leave tomorrow morning, the Prince wanted to leave immediately but the Count insisted that she would stay here for at least one more night. She was having trouble getting used to all these new changes.

Sakura didn't want to see the Prince Syaoran (who was perfectly fine with that and was flattering himself with other girls) or her Uncle Touya. It just seemed so weird… she had always thought of him as a big brother, never an uncle.

She was afraid to see Yuki. What if he was like her bunny or something? Turned into a human by an evil witch? The same witch of fate that had forced an entire meal of unknown facts into her mouth, that had forced down her entire past she hadn't known, forced down her entire future that couldn't have been predicted.

She didn't understand why she didn't feel good. She had adored the prince. Loved the prince. Wished to marry him for years in her dreams! Like all the other girls! Then why… why was she so confused and grieved? Why was she so shocked and paralyzed that she couldn't eat or drink or talk to anyone?

There was a knock at the door.

"Sis?"

Yuki.

She leaped up from her bed.

She panicked. "Oh my god… has he come here to tell me something absurd too? Is he my uncle too? Is he my real brother or something? Is he really a girl? What if he was my son I never knew I had!"

She was screaming in her brain, she didn't know what to do…

Another knock, "Saku sis! Hellooo? Are you okay?"

Sakura walked toward the door uncertainly, and then took several steps back again, she called in a shaky voice, "She's not here right now."

"Then who's talkin'?"

"Her… her maid. I'm… I'm just cleaning up her room for her before she goes."

There was a pause, then an answer, "Okay then. Tell her I said hi. I'll drop back in soon." There were footsteps… silence. He was gone.

Sakura gave out a big relieved sigh. She dropped back onto her bed and wiped her wet eyes. She had lied to Yuki… the little boy she loved… her brother…

She shook her head. But everyone had lied to her too! And now she was utterly confused and not knowing who she was! What if Yuki had come to tell her some sort of lie too… what if he had come in to tell the truth?

"The truth is absurd!" She screamed, sitting up and staring at the picture (of the Prince's large, bloated, and egotistical head that once looked so charming) on wall in front of her accusingly.

There was a rap at her window.

She screamed.

"OH MY GOD!"

She ran to it and flung the window open, "YUKI!"

He grinned. He was clinging onto the windowsill and trying to wave at the same time, "Hey sis… ur… can you help me here?"

She pulled him in immediately, then screamed, "WHAT WERE YOU DOING? THAT'S DANGEROUS!"

He shrugged, "I know. But your 'maid', was cleaning your room and I wanted to see you."

Sakura stared at him for a second, then sighed, "I'm… I'm sorry. It's just that, I'm afraid you'll have something to say to me too."

"I do."

She shrieked, unbolting the door, "DON'T TELL ME IT! DON'T TELL ME I WAS THE ONE WHO GAVE BIRTH TO YOU!"

He raised an eyebrow, "I… I don't know who did… but I'm certain it wasn't you. You look nothing like me. Besides, that ain't what I was goin' to say."

Sakura gave her chest a pat, her heartbeat going back to normal again, "Sorry…"

"I wanted to say bye…" He looked down at his toes, "I'm… I'm going to miss you sis…"

Sakura was crying again, the tears flowing from her eyes, she went on her knees and hugged him tightly, "Oh Yuki! I'm going to miss you so much too… I… I can't think of a life without you!"

He was sobbing too, "I know… I can't either… without you big sis, but at least your… wish came… true."

Sakura wiped her tears and handed him a piece of cloth to blow his nose, "I never expected it to…" She said quietly, then tried to scold him, "You… you shouldn't cry. You're a big boy now."

He nodded and wiped his tears, swallowing them back. Then he reached into his pocket and took out a bag, "I bet everyone forgot… maybe even you. Happy Birthday."

Sakura's eyes widened as she saw the bag… she took it and then began bursting into tears again. She couldn't help it… she had forgotten… meeting the prince… finding out that she was the Prince's bride… so much had happened and she had forgotten her birthday!

She hugged Yuki again, gripping her present tight.

-

"Ready to go?" The Prince grinned sweetly to Sakura.

She shook her head, she didn't have many things to pack, it was just Yuki and Touya that she needed to say farewell to…

Touya was by her side, looking at her with sad but stern eyes. He had prepared for this day… but she had not, she could hardly stand to look at his face, she hugged him tightly and cried, "Bye Touya…"

Touya smiled at her sadly, "It's your birthday today, isn't it? You're an old lady now." He attempted a mischievious smile, but she didn't care how sloppy it looked.

Sakura looked up, stunned. Tears flowed out of her eyes, "Thank you... Touya." She hugged Touya tighter this time and wished for the moment to never end.

Yuki was by Touya's side, trying to make himself look as manly as he could, and Sakura gave him a small peck on his cheek, before ruffling his hair one more time…

"Bye Yuki… I'll come see you one day, I promise."

Yuki nodded, trying to hold in his tears, "Bye sis…"

She then joined the Prince into the carriage, waving.

Then she saw the Mistress, a little pleasure entering her heart. Touya had been right, now she _had _to look up to her, the Mistress's jaw still dropped like the day before, her face still as pale and stricken. Sakura couldn't help but let out a boasting smile as she passed.

The carriage began moving on, she leaned out of the window to wave to Touya and Yuki, crying out their names until they were out of sight.

"Sakura, my Princess." The Prince soothed her as she slumped back in her seat, "You'll have a lovely time at the castle too."

Sakura stared at him, why wasn't he as handsome as she had pictured? As the picture had pictured? But no matter what… she still loved him. Or did she?

"Yes, I guess so." She turned her head to look out of the window, somehow disappointed with this prince beside her. _Is this what Prince Syaoran really is?_

-------------

End of Chapter 3

* * *

Hint hint hint: This _is _a SxS story. A tricky one. Didn't that just spoil everything. (or perhaps not) 

an: the prince's brother hasn't been introduced just yet by the way, it'll take some time, sorry for such slow and short progress in the story, I'll try to update sooner. Also, sorry for much confusion or shock about Touya being Sakura's uncle, Sakura is just as confused. But be prepared for larger shocks much later...teehees. I don't understand how to fix my summary, so I guess it'll stick with confusing. In fact, this whole plot is twisted anyways.

thank you so much to those who reviewed (nearly weeps), i always take all your reviews to consideration. Any concerns, questions, ideas and thoughts, i do gladly accept them.


	4. The Kidnapping

Chapter 4: The Kidnapping

The Princess Bride

Sakura's a normal villager in a little village, like all other girls, adoring the king-to-be, wishing that they were the prince's bride… but then one day she finds herself trying to embrace the fact that she's a princess, she _is _the prince's bride. But while living in the castle… she begins to fall in love with, not the prince, but the _prince's brother_.

**Quackquill's quilly notes**: THIS IS **NOT** BASED ON WILLIAM GOLDMAN'S BOOK THE PRINCESS BRIDE, THIS IS A TOTALLY DIFFERENT STORY WITH NOTHING TO DO WITH THAT BOOK besides a few things.

Enjoy. Cry. Laugh. Smile. _Read._

-------------

"Sakura, Sakura! Wake up!" A voice called to her.

Sakura stirred awake, "What is it… Yuki?"

"Sakura, it was all a dream. You're not a princess, you still live here with me and you're still my sister. Touya isn't an old geezer uncle, he's your brother too. And that mistress still treats you like pigsty pie." There was Yuki's giggle, "So it's all a dream. Let's go fishing today, kays?"

Sakura smiled, "Okay…"

She opened her eyes.

The eyes staring back at her weren't Yuki's… but…

"Prince Syaoran!" Sakura exclaimed.

The prince laughed, "You're hilarious dear, you _talk_ in your own dreams? How funny! Ha ha ha ha ha!"

Sakura smiled back grimly, "Ha…ha…ha… yeah, I talk in my own dreams…"

Why wasn't his laugh charming to her? It sounded more like the pigs in her dream snorting contemptuously at her.

"So Sakura…" He grinned somewhat devilishly at her, "You truly love _me, _don't you?"

"Yes…" Sakura gulped, feeling like she was telling a lie, "I have always admired you… Prince Syaoran."

It wasn't a lie, what she was saying was truth. Wasn't it? All those years, keeping every picture of him, taking in every little gossip detail about him, then why did it feel like she was telling a lie?

The prince nodded in approval, "Good then, good." He gave her a pet on the head, "Love me forever and ever. Don't go around falling in love with someone else now… got it?"

Sakura nodded, but without much enthusiasm. Who else was there to fall in love with? She thought. You're my Prince Syaoran… my dream prince… of course, I love you… don't I?

The prince leaned against his arm after some silence passes, "I'm bored, couldn't you be more entertaining?."

What a conceited person… Sakura bit her lip… not at all like I had imagined, "Um, okay. Uh, I'll sing you a song."

The prince looked uninterested, "What kind of song… Don't sing me childish songs."

Sakura shook her head, "Oh, its not a nursery song. I made it up myself."

The prince laughed, "You have time like that in the country side? Oh wait, of course you'd have time, what is there to _do _in the countryside anyways." He scoffed.

"Soo... would you like to hear it or not?" Sakura frowned impatiently.

"Save your breath, we're almost coming to the castle now." He looked out of the window.

Sakura looked out too. Sheesh, don't ask me to sing then if you didn't want to hear me in the first place.

The prince looked at his princess curiously, noticing the seething anger. "Are you so mad?" He grinned, "You wanted me to hear your pleasant peasant voice?"

Sakura glared at him, "I'm fed up with your arrogance, you know."

He chuckled, "Oh dear. I should do something to win back my princess' love." He fanned himself a bit more rapidly, thinking deeply while watching Sakura comically.

"Alright." He finally said, "Let's hear you sing."

"I thought you didn't want to hear me sing."

"I'm bored, it's the best thing for now."

"I won't sing for a person like you."

"Then I'm sorry. I'm sorry I was so mean. I love you, you know that." He tipped her chin up with his fan to make her look at him, "So sing for me…"

Sakura couldn't help it, such irresistible, beautiful eyes. She inhaled as he drew back his fan.

She sang.

She had the most melodic and charming voice. She sang like warbling birds.

The prince watched her interestingly, when she stopped, he asked her, "Why did you stop? Keep singing."

"I… don't remember the rest of the song." She lied.

"Why not?"

"I haven't sung in quite a while. My throat is rusty as well."

"It's not, it's the most charming voice I've ever heard." He grinned, "So keep singing for me, won't you?"

"I…can't."

He frowned, "Alright, I won't push you. But if you ever sing for me again, you'll have to remember the ending of that song."

"I'll try." Sakura breathed out in relief. The last part was special and secret to her… _It's about you… prince Syaoran._ She stared at him. He looked so much different for some reason. He wasn't the prince charming like she had seen on her pictures. He was charming but… there was just something different about him. And his personality…

"Look, it's the castle." He pointed out of the carriage.

Sakura looked out of the window. The sight was breathtaking. The castle was like everything she had imagined. It had towers and towers and was a magnificent color of mystical purple that blended in with the setting clouds in the background. The hills were like the sea's roaring waves, yet they rolled quietly by the castle as though bowing down it its majestic heights.

"But we're still quite far away, a bandit could attack us right here and the castle won't know until a few more days."

Sakura looked up at the prince alertedly.

"Oh," he laughed mischieviously, "But don't worry. No one would attack at—"

The carriage suddenly tipped to a side. There were rapid sounds of horse hooves and shouting. Torches were lit in the hands of the riders. They shouted in a grunted and foreign language.

"Wha… what is going on?" Sakura clutched the side of the carriage.

"Hm, I spoke too soon." The prince frowned.

"Do something about this! You're a prince!" Sakura yelled as a spear pierced through the carriage door.

The prince glared at Sakura, "I'm a _prince, _it's _not _the same as your fantasized warriors." He barked back at her.

Sakura was shut up after that, surprised at his anger.

The door was flung open. Sakura screamed. The scraggy bandit reached in and clutched Sakura's hand, pulling her out of the carriage, ignoring her screams.

Sakura looked at Syaoran before she was kidnapped… his face was completely impassive to her circumstances.

The kidnapper started to dart away from the carriage and head the opposite direction, Sakura was screaming and punching the guy as hard as she could, but then a whack at her head caused the world to go blurry.

The lurching movements suddenly stopped… she heard the plucking and flying sound of an arrow… and then the cry of a horse. There was the sound of a lady chanting monotonously.

The horse was falling over, Sakura wanted to scream but her faintness was overpowering her. The last thing she remembered was being lifted and seeing a raven haired lady… and then a masked man with auburn eyes…

-------------

End of Chapter 4

* * *

an: many thanx to those who reviewed. I can say i dislike this chapter, and my poor writing abilities and slow...short... progression... but there can't be complaining (like just right then) cuz a terrible accident will keep me from writing for a while. I'll try my best but it'll be tiresome with only one arm. So I dearly pray many will be patient, and if not, well, then not.

Kukuku, no more hints. I'm sure it's quite obvious by now.


	5. Mysterious Captors

Chapter 5: Mysterious Captors

The Princess Bride

Sakura's a normal villager in a little village, like all other girls, adoring the king-to-be, wishing that they were the prince's bride… but then one day she finds herself trying to embrace the fact that she's a princess, she _is _the prince's bride. But while living in the castle… she begins to fall in love with, not the prince, but the _prince's brother_.

**Quackquill's quilly notes**: THIS IS **NOT** BASED ON WILLIAM GOLDMAN'S BOOK THE PRINCESS BRIDE, THIS IS A TOTALLY DIFFERENT STORY WITH NOTHING TO DO WITH THAT BOOK besides a few things.

Enjoy. Cry. Laugh. Smile. _Read._

-------------

The forest was enchantingly silent.

A leaf rustled in the passing gust, and then the trembling and quaking of the earth suddenly commenced. Any squirrels or forest critters nearby scattered into the bushes and up the trees, hiding from the frightening new arrivals.

There was the thundering of horse hooves drawing nearer and nearer… First came the masked man holding the princess tightly against his chest, racing past trees as though his horse and he were merely the wind. Behind him, racing only slightly slower, but probably because she was practically standing on the horse while chanting some sort of a casting spell, was the girl wrapped in purple scarves at the waist and cowhide at her chest, her raven hair trailing across her face to enhance the mysteriousness.

The critters peered further, yes, that was why the two, or to be more precise, three, of them were in such a hurry.

A mob of furious bandits was hustling after them.

Whatever for…?

All this… just for the girl on the masked man's chest. Who was deeply unconscious and unaware of her present happenings.

Finally the girl standing on her horse stopped chanting, the bandits were lagging further behind. At last, they could make their escape… or rather how they enjoyed calling it… their disappearing act!

_Poof!_

The bandits screeched to a halt… stunned.

Indeed, a disappearing act. The three had seemingly vanished into thin air.

--

Somewhere in the woods, farther away, in a little run-down cottage, two horses were resting, as well as three runaways.

A small water stream ran nearby, the raven lady was standing there, untouched by the flowing water.

"Miss Sorceress," a voice called from the bank.

The girl turned her head lazily, "Who calls?"

"A voice you know too well. Tomoyo." The man grinned (behind his mask) as he slipped into the stream beside her.

She frowned, "Don't call me in such a friendly manner. I have no means to become so close to you."

He laughed, but it was not a very hearty laugh, "True, true. May we have no feelings for each other."

She gave him the bucket of water she had been holding, "Give this to the princess, it's not well for you to be out here. Your presence is so hard to hide in the wide open."

"I'm sure you are exhausted from such hard work… but…" His eyes looked faraway from the cottage. "You must surely understand why I dislike the girl. Betrothed to the… king to be…" His voice trailed off into some unwanted memories and his fist was tightly gripped.

"Don't think I don't know about it… Naroays."

The man grimaced at the mentioning of the name, "You say it quite gleefully."

She ignored him, "And you must pity her, having such a husband… you understand why we're here, and just _who_ caused such bandit ruckus." She began grating a nearby piece of wood mentally, showing her hatred.

The man glanced at the grating wood amusedly, "So I am to comfort that girl? Alright, let me strike you a deal."

The wood dropped. "How many deals do you think you can make to me? Hm? How many has it been already...?"

"I see you are interested," She snorted, but he continued anyways, "You may call me whatever you like, but I musn't have to speak, look, or have anything to do with that girl. Unless it is to protect or carry her. Is that clear?"

"Hah, sounds more demanding than a deal… but, I'm sure, _Naroays, _(he flinched), is definitely worth it." She giggled and ran into the cottage with the bucket floating not too far behind her. _And the other thing is... whether or not you can even keep your side of the deal. Poor man. _She broke out in wicked laughter.

"I shouldn't have put that name in the deal…" he said regretfully as he picked up the wood piece, gazed at it, and then flung it across the stream…

_Plop._

He watched the wood float in the stream and drift away. He stood there until he could no longer see the piece of wood. Then he stepped out of the water to let his soggy black clothes dry.

A bird called and passed.

"Why did I do such a thing..." He grabbed his hair in fustration, "Why did _I_ have to be the one to save _her_!"

--

Tomoyo gently placed the bucket on the table. She quietly walked up the creaky stairs to where a terribly fit princess was stirring.

"I do feel terrible for you." Tomoyo commiserated as she sat down on the bed gazing at the princess, "Your future is an utter mess, even someone without sorcery would be able to see that. But I see your strength and abilities as well. I'm sure you'll be able to endure all that stands in your way." She looked out of the window to where 'Naroays' was, "And that guy… he's so stupid, but I'm sure you two will…"

The girl was beginning to awaken.

Sakura was sure the compassionate voice was from a girl. Certainly a girl. She had lived with enough boys, and enough terrible girls to recognize the distinctions between genders.

But surely…this voice was not a voice she knew, though indeed it was charming and beautiful. She had a strong urge to find out whose voice was it… gradually she was awakening…

The princesses' eyes opened.

Tomoyo was amazed at the beauty of the girl's astounding emerald green eyes…

Just as how Sakura was amazed at the entire elegance and beauty of the girl's appearance…

There was a lapse between them, but unlike any sort of silence. It was warm, and almost as though this was not the first time the two had met and as if they were great friends already.

Finally Sakura spoke, "You are…"

"Tomoyo. I'm a sorceress." She smiled as she waved her hand and a nearby object turned according to her hand. "and you…the princess…I know not your name, but I'm sure it is as beautiful as you are."

Sakura blushed, "The name's Sakura. But… how'd you know I'm the princess?"

Tomoyo laughed, "Because everyone knows now that you are marrying a prince."

"Oh, right. The prince… what? Wait! Where'd he go?" She looked about in confusion. Then out the window, "Is that him over there? Prince Syaoran?"

Tomoyo bit her lip, resisting all temptation. "No. No, he is not." She darkly looked out the window at him.

Sakura saw this and watched her oddly, "Is something wrong?"

"No, not at all, but you seem to have forgotten. You were kidnapped." Tomoyo smiled to see Sakura's wild reaction of horror.

"You…!"

"No, don't be frightened, we are members of the castle. We were the ones who saved you."

Silently sitting in her place, the chain of events began to recur in her memory.

Prince's birthday… her birthday… arrival of the prince… shocking news… separation from home… carriage… nasty behaviors… kidnapping and…

No, she could not remember much anymore clearly.

"Then, thank you, Tomoyo, for saving me."

"But not only me, it was also him." She pointed to the man outside.

Feeling that someone was watching him, he looked up and…

Sakura saw the man turn around, his face was masked but his eyes were bold…

Their eyes suddenly met…

His eyes were of rich auburn.

The memory came back to her. Those fierce auburn eyes behind that mask.

Her eyes were emerald, captivating…

Why couldn't they pull their gazes away from each other? What was that alluring feeling they felt towards each other? A familiar gaze too...

"You might call it," Tomoyo smirked, "their destiny…".

------------------

End of Chapter 5

* * *

it's still an sxs story. -shoots self for spoiling everything- 

an: well, short, but at least this time i've got more characters in and... yup. well, i never thought i'd update so soon, but inspiration is rare. and i know the last part is clumsy and i was getting incrediblyy tired and lazy near the end. i know ppl are still confused, hopefully all the pieces will connect somewhere toward the end... if its possible to get to the end even. (isnt it cool how tomoyo has super powers! ... ignore my oddities nd fascinations) this chapter's all weird, i was in a weird mood, hehe

but thanx so much to those who read and reviewed! it's always a pleasure!

good day to you all. hopefully i'll update soon. kukuku. i'm just as impatient as you readers.


	6. The Man of Wax

Chapter 6: The Man of Wax

The Princess Bride

Sakura's a normal villager in a little village, like all other girls, adoring the king-to-be, wishing that they were the prince's bride… but then one day she finds herself trying to embrace the fact that she's a princess, she _is _the prince's bride. But while living in the castle… she begins to fall in love with, not the prince, but the _prince's brother_.

**Quackquill's quilly notes**: THIS IS **NOT** BASED ON WILLIAM GOLDMAN'S BOOK THE PRINCESS BRIDE, THIS IS A TOTALLY DIFFERENT STORY WITH NOTHING TO DO WITH THAT BOOK besides a few things.

Enjoy. Cry. Laugh. Smile. _Read._

-------------

The rain was pouring outside, in fact, it was more than pouring. It was an overflow of a giant's tears, no, a giant's tipping bathtub.

The cave had a damp fire inside, but Sakura felt chilled and wary. There was the masked man on the other side, not huddled up but breathing unsteadily.

Here she was, huddled up and shivering in cold. The fire was so small that she knew it would vanish within seconds.

So how had it ended up like this?

Why were they alone in the cave, alone and cold and wary and hungry?

She tried to remember. Oh yes, that was it. The staring.

-flashback-

Yes, it was that pair of eyes, Sakura remembered now, those eyes that had saved her.

A masked man, how mysterious, she thought to herself.

The masked man was the first to turn his gaze away. He turned his face away and looked deep into the forest.

Embarrassment perhaps? But Sakura felt somewhat disappointed, not even knowing why. She turned to Tomoyo's chuckles.

"You can see he is already fond of you, Princess."

"Fond of me!?" Sakura cried in disbelief, "Oh no, someone as stern and mysterious looking as that wouldn't feel for a peasant girl like me." She shuddered at the chilling thought. "Masked men can't have feelings…"

"And why not? And why do you still call yourself a peasant girl? You are a princess now!"

"A princess…" Sakura gazed at her worn out hands, "Me, a princess? Why yes, it was once a fanciful dream. But now, a reality?" She let out a dry laugh, "I should be suffocating in joy!"

Tomoyo watched her sadly, and then placed a hand on hers, "You are fit to be a princess, as were your mothers and mothers' mothers."

Sakura shook her head, "Agh, you don't know my mother's stories. They're enough to knock life senseless outta you!"

"No, I don't know of your mother's stories. But I still understand one thing, you're truly beautiful and kind enough to befit a princess, beyond words!"

"As are you." Sakura smiled, and then laughed. Had anyone in her life ever called her beautiful before these days? Before she suddenly became a princess? Princess. A name that can give even a shabby peasant beauty and respect!

-

Naroays was stroking his horse when the girl with striking emerald eyes appeared.

Sakura had been sitting on the doorsteps for a while, but he had never once looked her way. He never looked up or said "Oh, Sakura, is that you?" in the feigned surprise as Touya would.

Did she miss her brother—no, her _uncle. _Never, never, had she thought of him as an uncle, and now that title had given sudden old age and destroyed his young manhood. An old uncle who knew her secrets that she didn't know about. Maybe there were more. Somewhere, deeply hidden. Sakura hoped she would never meet any more secrets.

"No more…" She muttered out loud unconsciously.

He was looking at her now. She sat up straight and gave a curt cough. Man, why did she allow her mind to wander like that at the wrong times?

"Uh, so…" She blinked her eyes and looked at the ground, unsure of what to say. What to say to a masked man, a guy with no apparent feelings? A superhero who might hide his face but save ladies in desperate times and from kidnappers. She shook her head, no no no! Stop thinking about strange things!

What would be stranger? His name… hmm… what was it again? Hay, ray, say, Nahy… Naroays! That was it.

"Naroays!" She shouted, pointing a finger at him.

Now he really was looking at her. She could even feel his hidden, mysterious brow lurch up in wonder about her insanity.

"He he, sorry, I mean… that's your name after all. Right?" She drew back her hand, laughing hesitantly.

He gave her the weird eye again and then went back to brushing the horse.

She frowned at him, "Sheesh, are you in love with your horse? Can't you say anything? You mute or something? I guess that comes with superman powers."

"What powers?"

She covered her mouth, "Nothing…" Shoot, letting her thoughts slip like that, urgh, was she a bonehead?

"Bonehead." He mumbled to himself.

"What! I dare you to say it again." She commanded as she leaped to her feet, "I may be a bonehead, but I have authority to slit that neck of yours!"

"Acting all high and mighty, huh?" He muttered, but then in a sudden but subtle movement, she could feel the cool metal against her neck. She was stilled, her breathing hoarse.

She stared at him with large, frightened eyes. She hadn't wanted to show him her fear but did anyways.

Maybe he grinned under the mask, maybe he was solemn, either way, she knew that whether he was joking or no, he was showing her his power.

"Go ahead and try." Was all he said, and then he took another movement and sheathed his weapon.

Sakura opened her mouth to say something after she had recovered, but Tomoyo spoke first. "Naroays, stop threatening her!"

With lightness, she rushed down the stairs. She smiled brightly as Sakura, but then turned to Naroays with a dark face. She merely touched him gently as she passed, but Sakura knew Tomoyo had put some sort of word of disapproval in his mind, for his face was rather sullen.

Not a word of disapproval though, it was a warning.

_My barrier has been broken, I can no longer shield your two presences any longer. **He** must have done it and found us. The bandits are working with the Prince. Naroays, do your duty as I shall do mine. Go, bring her to safety, to the castle where even darkness looms there. Protect her here, now and there. Don't hurt her, or else I'll—_

Tomoyo had vanished. She had gone on her horse and ridden past the trees and disappeared entirely.

"Did you hear her voice?" Sakura whispered, amazed at the power Tomoyo owned.

"It was meant for me only." He grunted.

Naroays lifted Sakura up onto the horse with ease, and then got on himself.

"Look, don't fall off or else I'll have my head really decapitated."

So without Tomoyo, they rode off into the forest towards the castle.

-

Sakura felt his arm around her waist. His touch was impassive. She could imagine his face: solemn and purposeful, but not passionate. It was as if he was a man without feelings.

There was not much to expect from this fellow. And so she, too, would show no feelings.

Sakura felt the silence between them as they swiftly passed trees and trees and trees. Shafts of sunlight broke its way through the dense leaves and touched her from time to time. There was a tranquil feeling, even with their awkward silence. What was there to talk about anyways.

Then it happened.

Sakura had not foreseen it, but he did. His arm held her tighter and his eyes were darting around. There was the presence of others, and not a good presence either. He gripped tighter.

"Owe, you're hurting—"

"Sshh, don't say anything." His other hand was now over her mouth. Sakura gaped. He wore gloves, but still, a man had never touched her lips before.

His gloves were cold. Who was following them? Why didn't he move his hand already? She would rather be mute for the rest of her life than have his hand over her mouth. She had an urge to bite his hand. Well, why not?

"Ahgh!" He shouted, withdrawing his hand quickly and then shaking it fiercely, "Why you feisty little—"

An arrow whizzed by and hit a tree. Sakura screamed.

"See look what you've done!" He shouted as a volley of arrows made its way towards them. He shouted again, but this time for the horse. He whipped hard and they escaped. Or so she thought.

Sakura held onto the horse tight, she wouldn't touch him in fear he would bite her back.

"They're still behind us, we don't have Tomoyo by us anymore so don't fall off!"

She closed her eyes shut, still hearing the thundering hooves of horses coming closer.

"Why are you so slow, can't you do something? Fight them?"

He growled back, "There are too many of them, besides, you'd be more of a burden, enough as you already are."

"Hey, you could go ahead and leave me behind but then it would be pointless for saving me in the first place."

"Does it look like I'm just going to drop you off? Unless you'd really like me to?"

"Don't threaten a princess!"

"Just shut up already!"

He was answered with a roar of crackling thunder. A torrent of fat raindrops followed the roar, and then those behind us were beginning to lag, slip, and trip over the wet stones.

"I'm getting soaked!" Sakura cried out.

"Get used to it!" He shouted back.

"AAACCHOOOO!"

-end of flashback-

And thus they had found the closest cave and were hiding inside for the time being.

So that was why they were here together, sitting as far as they could be from each other, and huddling near the tiny fire.

Naroays was seriously struggling with his breathing. Something was terribly wrong. Sakura looked over at him, slowly nudging towards him hesitantly.

It was his leg. They had not escaped all of the arrows, one of them had struck his leg. It was bleeding pretty badly, yet he did nothing but sit there and soak in the pain.

She wanted to slap him hard. "Are you stupid! You've been hurt, and you're not going to do anything about it? Well, leave it to a girl untrained in these sort of areas!"

He looked at her, his eyes pained and his face white and ghastly (she imagined this since he had a mask).

"I'll do my best to try and help you." She muttered, bending over the left leg with care. What to do, she never had any medical experience. She was guessing what to do.

"First, I'm going to try and pull out this dumb arrow and then try wrapping up your leg. Sound good?" She looked up to see if he would protest.

"Get on with it then."

She had some difficulty pulling it out, it had been wedged in deep and had probably been a burning arrow. His pants were singed and his foot nearly black as coal.

"It looks as though your leg is dead." She remarked, beginning to wrap about the bleeding.

"If it were dead, it wouldn't be bleeding." He closed his eyes.

"Maybe, I don't know. I'm not a healer, as you can see." She had torn her clothing and had wrapped his leg tight, "Aren't I pretty good for a beginner?"

He said nothing.

"I know, probably not." She gave the leg a pat and then stood up, still shivering, to go back to her reclusive spot.

He grabbed her arm, "Don't go. Stay." He pulled her back to sit by his side.

Sakura was stunned. She sat by him, his hand still clenching onto her tight. His hand was very cold, but she began to feel some warmth spread in her. Some warmth she had never felt from him before.

She talked to him quietly, almost in whispers. She saw how his eyes fluttered slowly into a deep sleep, and his pain still there but mollified by her voice.

"I believed you to be a man of wax. A man of figure, maybe, since I can't see beyond your mask, and a man of sturdiness. But wax nonetheless. I thought you were a man without feelings…"

Her voice trailed off into the gray and gloom of the hovering clouds. The pattering of rain drowned her voice out. But she knew he heard her voice, and slowly she too fell asleep.

It was as if there was no one else in the world, but them, sitting together by a flickering fire in a cold cave. Danceing shadows thrown on the pale walls, water splashing outside.

A beginning of a romance.

------------------

End of Chapter 6

* * *

I'm sorry it took so long, but hooray! I'm healed! Well, sort of. Still having trouble getting my arm straight, but good enough! This chappie's real long, im awfully sorry. i just had so much on my mind and i had made six copies of this chapter. this one finally got through right! I hope ya'll like it, i worked so hard. weeps. thank you all for waiting patiently. id be so happy with reviews. any dislikes? please tell me! any likes? please tell me! 


	7. No Farewell

Chapter 7: No Farewell

The Princess Bride

Sakura's a normal villager in a little village, like all other girls, adoring the king-to-be, wishing that they were the prince's bride… but then one day she finds herself trying to embrace the fact that she's a princess, she _is _the prince's bride. But while living in the castle… she begins to fall in love with, not the prince, but the _prince's brother_.

**Quackquill's quilly notes**: THIS IS **NOT** BASED ON WILLIAM GOLDMAN'S BOOK THE PRINCESS BRIDE, THIS IS A TOTALLY DIFFERENT STORY WITH NOTHING TO DO WITH THAT BOOK besides a few things.

Enjoy. Cry. Laugh. Smile. _Read._

-------------

There was a small rustle in the bushes. Two beady marble eyes peeped out cautiously, and then emerged with sudden twittering and fluttering. It hopped out a few meters, pecked a little at the squirming worm in its mouth, and then flew up into a tree. Perched motherly over its snug nest and baby beaks, the bird dropped the worm into the rabble of hungry children and watched contently as the worm found its way into three cozy stomachs.

The bird swooped down again and then over the treetops, out in the crisp, bright blue.

A shot detonated.

The bird came down and fell on the dead, trampled leaves with a thud.

A voice chuckled lightly, and leaned down to pick up the dead bird, "Perfect as always, Prince."

The prince grinned slightly, "Of course. What else would you expect?" He lowered his eyes at his polished rifle.

The prince's companion took a glance at the rifle as well, his eyes marveling over the smooth and slender complexion of the rifle. Then he looked back up at the prince questioningly, "I'm still curious over why you don't just shoot your wife yourself, with such skill."

Not at all alarmed by the question, Syaoran simply caressed his gun affectionately, "Hm, too much blood in my hands. I like to keep things rather neat." He smiled rather dangerously at the rifle.

The companion felt an itch in his thumb, and he rubbed it off on his chin musingly, "Say, what would you do then, if she escaped the bandits' capture?"

The prince laughed, but stopped abruptly, turning his dangerous gaze towards his companion, "Oh? I wonder. What should I do? What would you do, Hirigazawa?"

The bespectacled man's mouth twisted enigmatically, "Simple. Shoot her."

Syaoran laughed much loudly this time, and then added, "Ah, ah, ah," He wagged his finger naughtily at him, "I already told you, too bloody. If she manages to survive, she's worthy of destruction on a much larger scale."

"Larger scale? Such as?" He asked curiously.

"Hm, oh yes, a larger scale. Death by humiliation and demise."

Hirgizawa nodded comprehensively, "I see, extraordinarily diabolic, prince."

"Yes, extraordinary…" The prince widened his evil grin to show a set of perfectly sharp, white teeth.

Meanwhile, high up in a tree, on a branch, in a nest…three small, innocent younglings continued to cry hungrily and desperately for their fallen mother…

Bang.

-

The air was thick and dark while the water a cold and chilly plunge. There was too much trouble in breathing. The only thing he could grasp was emptiness and the coolness of the stares.

He stood amidst a crowd, darting his eyes about rapidly when he at last spotted another boy staring down coolly into the crowd…at him.

Shouting, screams, a baby shrieking in tearing agony. And then the heavy bearded man looking down at the two young children dressed in a sad gown. The fat thumb that pointed at the fate of the children…the unknown future.

Then the boy again, staring coolly, too coolly, as though he were a mere intimidating statue watching his every move. The crowd dissipated into the thick air like clouds, leaving him and the boy alone.

The emptiness of the air and the distance between them suddenly nerved him. There had once been a heavy feeling, a wall of thick memories. Now there was nothing. The boy stared levelly at him, and yet it felt like a condescending, wrathful stare.

There's no escaping… You've given it up… There's no more for you… You didn't deserve it… There's no turning back… It will all be mine now… At last… 

The air's thickness grappled at his neck, and then he was choking, feeling the cold, loathing hands of the boy clamped coolly around his neck. And that stare still coolly fixed upon him…

-

The gloomy aura of the rain clouds was lifted, and a ray of morning sunlight touched the cold edges of the cave.

A man cloaked in a ruffled black cloak suddenly gasped for air and jumped into consciousness.

There was perspiration running down his forehead and neck from the heat of his anxiety. His eyes wide and his hands groping at the air before him, he suddenly felt the clammy walls press against his chest and he fell back, exhausted.

Just a dream…only a dream…nothing else… he thought to himself soothingly, or had it been? He locked it into the back of his head so as to never be reached into again, confirming its nonexistence.

He looked down at his foot, bandaged with the hem of a dress and encrusted with dried blood. No wonder he had such a terrible dream, damn leg. Oh well, it had probably finished bleeding by now and at least he would be able to walk. He pulled the bandage off to reveal a fully healed leg.

He felt a soft breath against the skin of his neck, and turned to find a sleeping princess on his shoulder.

He glanced at the snoring 'princess' again disdainfully as she gave out a loud chortle, murmuring a few utterly nonsensical words… "Nay Yuki… that potato bread was mine… mar, give it back now… argh, you're asking for it now…"

He pushed her head away gently, hoping he would not get whatever that 'asking for it' it was.

He struggled to get up slowly, but managed to stand against the wall and inhale deeply.

A little sting in his neck, maybe a mosquito bite or something… he reached back to scratch it.

Sakura stirred slightly, moaning a little, "Megh… you thick-skulled bandit… I'll show you the way to hell…"

He raised an eyebrow at her, where had she gotten all that colorful language? He bent down and studied her a little more closer, wondering how on earth _she_ was a princess. A foul-mouthed, boyish, loud and dirty girl, not at all like a princess. His ideal image of a refined princess would be like Tomoyo…gentle curves and grace and…

Naroays shook his head violently, nearly knocking himself off balance.

"Eck! Get away!" Sakura suddenly roared.

SMACK.

"Yowch!" Naroays fell back, clutching at his nose.

Sakura rubbed her eyes, "Oh I'm so sorry I thought it was…?"

He narrowed his eyes at her angrily, "Why _you…"_

She yawned tediously, "Oh, I take it back. It is you."

"I understand completely." He glared at her warily.

"Hm, glad you do." She grinned, stretching her arms out and moving in circles, "Morning…so where are my potato cakes?"

-

A sparkling morning with grand, warm arms greeted the princess. She smiled merrily to the chirping birds and buzzing bees prodding their fuzzy black heads into the sweet kissing mouths of the hyacinths. She looked up to see the billowing trees and dazzling sunbeams peering out of their veils.

"Idiot. You won't find anything to eat around here." A masked man snorted disdainfully.

"I'm starving. They fed me better as a peasant than as a princess I am now." She glared at him, then added curiously, "And what about you? Don't say you're not hungry, that'd be lying. And lying is a grave sin."

"I eat as much as I lie."

"Would that be often?"

"No."

She laughed, "I bet you're lying, you're probably starving like me, right now."

He remained silent, his coldness secreting some private knowledge.

Sakura frowned. She hated not knowing things. She stole a glance at his leg again.

"I'm still amazed. How _did _it heal so quickly in one night?"

He glared at her coldly in silence. It made her shiver and feel somewhat relieved she might not learn why.

"Ha ha…" She laughed nervously, "I guess you're really not a human."

He flinched in surprise, "What?"

She stopped walking and looked at him with bewilderment, had she just hit the mark?

Her mouth broadened into a tricky grin, "I knew you weren't normal but for real?" She cackled, "This is just too incredible."

He appeared to have somewhat flushed beneath his mask, whether in embarrassment or anger, "Did I say that you were right?"

"Why wear a mask then?" She grinned, playfully circling him and enjoying his flustered appearance, "Hiding some _abnormal _secret?"

His eyes flared in anger, "I'm afraid you've gone too far, _Princess._"

"Ooo, angry now are we." She laughed jocosely and clapped her hands in excitement, "This is just too good, I've never seen such feeling from you before!"

His hand touched his sword as a threat, "And any more than that you'll never see anything again."

She grinned, "What are you going to do, cut my eyes out? Good luck with that."

"You're finished." He growled as the metal suddenly whooshed out into the open air.

Their horse suddenly darted before them and neighed in panic, a rumbling sensation trembled the earth.

"What's that!" Sakura suddenly shouted, covering her ears in fear.

Naroays kept his sword out and glanced about, his eyes narrowing, "Princess, do as I say."

"What did you say?" She shouted, her ears still covered.

"I said—"

Something exploded in the air.

"What the hell! What is that?"

"Ugh, never mind!" He darted forward and grabbed her arm and pressed her face against his chest.

"What are you doing? Let go of me!" She tried to release herself from his embrace but he held fast.

"The damn horse will get us nowhere, it's gone insane because of the bombing."

"Well then you don't have to get all romantic and hug me all because we're going to die! Gross!" She gagged in his shirt.

"Just. Shut. Up!"

Something clogged her throat and she felt unable to speak any more.

He flipped out something from beneath his cloak and flung it up as the bomb debris showered them, finally he stepped back and chanted some inaudible jargon.

Sakura shut her eyes and felt the pressing of air in her lungs, a lack of oxygen? Some gas surrounding them made her choke and cough, she gasped for air but was left with nothing but a shirt to breath into.

Another shot rang far away, and a sprinkle of water fell over her, then it slowly turned into a shower of thudding liquid drops. At last he released her and she could breath at last.

"What just…happened?" She inhaled deeply, looking up at the masked man questioningly.

He stepped back and motioned her to look around.

The dangerous, killing debris from the explosion had turned into fine powder she had believed to be rain and water. She bent down to allow her hands to pick up the black soot.

"Lucky for those idiotic bandits, this will get you there."

"What do you mean? How will this black soot stuff get me to the palace?"

He ignored her question and began to clean out the soot and make a circle surrounding her.

"Sit in the middle and don't talk." He ordered, then clicked his fingers, sparking a flame.

She sat obediently in confusion and disbelief, "Are you a sorceror too? Like Tomoyo?"

He didn't answer and lighted the soot on fire.

"Er, wait a minute…I don't really think surrounding me with fire is such a good idea…"

"I'm not planning to burn you. Look, the fire isn't a normal one."

He was right. Not a bright red or crackling orange but a blue sort of…soft light? It started to flicker in different colors.

"Do you remember seeing the palace?" He asked.

"I think so. Yes."

"Remember it."

She closed her eyes and tried to picture that faraway castle she had seen from the carriage… it had looked so near then…

"Good. Have a safe journey then. Farewell."

She opened her eyes, "No, wait!" She cried, but the last thing she saw of him was a trace of his auburn eyes bidding goodbye…

Then the fire collapsed on her and she was plunging into some distant reality…

When at last she had reached the bottom of the plunge, she felt herself tumbling and tumbling…and then….

Thud.

"Ouch." She rubbed her head and looked up to see a wide door, "What is this? The palace?" She stood up and looked around. Indeed, she had finally arrived.

Some guardsmen identified her and believed her to be an assassin and clubbed her. Luckily she was brought into the castle as a prisoner but later identified as the princess and brought in with more caution. And so forth. By the time she had awakened, her head injury had healed and she experienced the highlights of a princess…and so on…

But one thought remained in her head.

She had never said goodbye or any sort of thanks to that masked man…

* * *

hahah...been so long, i apologize. thank you to all those who reviewed and are still reading this puzzling story. to be honest this is really long and merely has dialogue, hardly any romance, tear tear...and then...at the end i got reallyyy lazy, tee-hees...and the magical stuff doesn't make sense and it's all strange yay! strange things make life more not normal, which is what fanfiction is for!

poor baby birdies.

and naroays is a ugly hideous dangerous terribly bloodthirsty beast! and syaoran is a terribly handsome smooth dangerous terribly bloodthirsty prince! irony, no wonder they're brother's... oh dear, what a fallacy...dont trust me, i give too much away. ;)

review! and maybe i'll update sooner. hee hee... i need more development in this story...


	8. Again

Chapter 8: Again and Again…

The Princess Bride

Sakura's a normal villager in a little village, like all other girls, adoring the king-to-be, wishing that they were the prince's bride… but then one day she finds herself trying to embrace the fact that she's a princess, she _is _the prince's bride. But while living in the castle… she begins to fall in love with, not the prince, but the _prince's brother_.

**Quackquill's quilly notes**: THIS IS **NOT** BASED ON WILLIAM GOLDMAN'S BOOK THE PRINCESS BRIDE, THIS IS A TOTALLY DIFFERENT STORY WITH NOTHING TO DO WITH THAT BOOK besides a few things. (but I do love the book and movie!)

Enjoy. Cry. Laugh. Smile. _Read._

-------------

The earth fails to touch the sky on this day. The nights are stretched out like yarn and pulled out from side to side to suspend the heavy chandelier of golden stars and a blue moon above amethyst hills and crystal streams.

The nights are heavenly as though Aphrodite herself had touched each midnight shadow with her pearly finger.

_What a dangerous love, _a raven-haired beauty mused as she gazed into the misty future, _What dangerous circumstances have risen._

She lightly touched the orb, enclosing it within a solid flame of ice. The nights are becoming more and more dangerous as the moon wanes and waxes. More peril comes to a full moon.

She stood up and lifted the gypsy curtain, greeting an uninvited guest quite coldly, "As I thought, you'd be here."

The guest stood up and grinned, "Still chill I see."

She crossed her legs as she sat before her guest, "I understand you're unhappy."

"You're not curious?" The guest raised a brow.

A chuckle, "I already know. It regards the arrival of the princess doesn't it."

"Yes, I believe so." The guest changed into a more relaxed position and took a grape from the fruit bowl, "You didn't poison this, did you?"

Her eyes glinted, "Perhaps."

The guest popped the smooth grape into the mouth anyways, "I'll find out myself then."

"So, what brings you here… Prince." She peered at him slyly.

His eyes smiled darkly, "I remember you make the deals around here…"

-

Crash.

"I'm really truly sorry…"

The maid bent down to pick up the broken shards of a teacup, "It's alright princess, I'll clean it up right away. Are you alright or injured in any way?" The maid looked up and smiled warmly at her.

Sakura sighed heavily, "I…thank you. You're the first to speak so warmly to me. All the other maids are scared or…don't speak at all."

The maid laughed, "I'm a new one. Chiharu at your service."

Sakura smiled, "A bubbly name. That reminds me so much of home…" Her eyes trailed away again.

"Homesick?"

She nodded sadly.

"That's how I was too. You'll get used to it. I mean, sorry, I'm speaking too casually." Chiharu bowed in apology.

"Oh no, I'd much rather hear casual terms that I'm used to. Hearing 'princess' and 'highness' is disgusting me. Palace life sure is different." She wrinkled her nose, "I've never even drunken coffee before, it tastes terrible, and who drinks in lacy cups… and this bed is ten feet high, it hurts when you fall off it!" Sakura rambled on about the unusual aspects of her new life.

Chiharu continued cleaning, then mumbled, "Princess…"

"Call me Sakura."

"Sakura…" She stopped and looked at her straight in the eye, "I know it seems very rude but I just want to be frank. The life you're leading is comfortable and a dream, you should, it's not really my place to say but, appreciate it. I hear other maids talking about your attitude it often."

Gasp. Sakura woke up with a start, clutching her bed sheets in horror.

Just another dream. She was beginning to fear those realistic encounters and moments in her sleep, or maybe they were memories. But she looked up at her room and its luxury, she hadn't met anyone for days and had been locked up in this room.

What was it? Oh yes, she was supposed to be having some 'measlies' as they said back in the country boarding houses. She coughed. She was indeed sick but perhaps there was another reason for the Prince to have locked her up in here. She sighed and fell back into the pillows.

"I do hate it here, but I can't say life is comfortable. Boring actually. Being a princess is tiresome, nobody talks to me…" She sighed. That dream she had…how many times had she had it? Speaking to an imaginary maid and complaining continuously, but one couldn't expect anyone, even an imagined person, to be patient about her complaints.

Really, she _was_ being too whiny.

Cough. Cough, _sneeze_.

"Sheesh, this room hasn't any light." She crawled out of her bed and opened the burgundy curtains, allowing light to flood into her room through the tall, glass panes. She peered out over the hills where she and a masked man had traveled over to reach the castle…

It had only been three days together but she remembered it as forever. A terribly attituded man with a mysterious mask and an imagined handsome face, a black cloak and a shirt chest she had been pressed upon once. He had had a musky smell too. Her memory of him was clear, too clear, it made her wonder where he was now.

And Tomoyo? The mage…or witch… a mesmerizing one though. Ravishing beauty and untold kindness.

And home…Yuki…Touya…they were becoming fading figures as she sat in a silver chair within an enormous castle. She began to cry. Again.

-

Naroays held up the freshly chiseled wood piece proudly, yes, another perfect one to sell.

There was a knock.

He placed down his wood piece and opened the door. Tomoyo. She walked into the shack as normally as ever, they sat and drank some wine together…as usual. Everything as usual, the meeting, the place, the hour, the food the drinks the talk the speech the bland feeling…the regularity…

Finally she got up to leave and handed him a parcel, smiling she said, "A present. Cherish it." And left.

That was quite irregular, he thought to himself and stared down at the package. He pressed down on the package and then sniffed it.

"Cheese. Dammit she knows I don't eat food." He growled and ripped the package open.

A blue cheese, perfectly round. His eyes widened in fear and understanding.

He gulped and looked at where she had sat. She was warning him… of course she would know better than he did, he had actually _forgotten_ since meeting the princess.

Overcome with anger and terrible memories he chucked the cheese to the side, roaring like a fierce beast…

Tomoyo, who had been clinging to the door from outside and listening silently, hung her head sadly. It was almost time…again…

She flung the door open, surprising him, "Naraoys!"

He looked up at her, wide-eyed and with a nearly gaping mouth…

"I shouldn't be doing this," She felt like yanking her hair out for her stupidity, this was disobeying the laws of sorcery! But the tug of duty, loyalty…human feelings that she shouldn't be having…overcame her and she ran toward him grabbing his hand.

"You must go see the princess one last time. I…I…I've done something terrible, she's in grave danger once again. You must save her! Don't let her fall in _his _clutches as you have! Only you can save her…"

He frowned regretfully, "I must refuse, I don't want to confront her again."

Her face was torn with anger and frustration, "Naroays! Don't be a coward!"

"Coward?" He sneered, "That's exactly what I've been for the past few years!"

"Well!" She let go of his hand none too gently, "It's time you stand up for yourself! Do you want to continue living like this! She can still be helped so go help her! And…" She bit her lip, she was being terribly disobedient to her vocation, but she continued in a hushed voice, "_She can help you as well…"_

That decided it. He ran off in a blur, his cloak swirling and tailing the wind, but not before thanking Tomoyo. After he had run out of the shack, she then fell onto her weakening legs… shaking her head and trembling… "Have I entirely forfeited sorcery…for good?" And began to sob, afraid if she could never hold an orb or cast magic again…

-

"Eriol."

"Yes, your highness."

"Prepare a little welcoming gift for my dear Princess... it's time for a _grand ball."_ the Prince chuckled hysterically, tossing to the bespectacled man a delicate parcel.

"What… is this?" Eriol looked up at the Prince in confusion.

"Something I got from Snow White's evil stepmother of course."

"A…poison apple?" Eriol twisted his eyebrow.

The Prince turned around sharply and snapped, "No you idiot! Just begin the preparations, it's time to put the grand scale in motion. She may have evaded my plans last time…but this time I will prevent her from getting any more help from my beloved little kinsman…"

"Your brother you mean." Eriol smiled.

The Prince widened his mouth into a cruel smile, "Of course, his time is nearing…"

He broke out into fits of evil hysterical laughter.

An evening bell rang somewhere in the castle…

-

Sakura wiped her tears as she listened to the chiming bells in the castle…it rang four times. This was her way of knowing the time of the day. She lay her head down gently and thought of comforting things that seemed so very far away…

There was a rapping at her window.

"A bird?" She got up and walked to the window, touching the cool glass and peering down… "What! What are _you _doing here!"

-end of chapter 8-

* * *

gags…. its all too confusing! it's a terribly confusing chapter, foreshadowing unexpected twists and turns… I updated super soon because I was feeling bored, that's probably why this chapter is so short and…er strange? I hope I can keep control of where all this is going. gags again… ohhh i love evil characters. and an unhelpful hint: one can be two and two can be one. why not?

Do ask lots of questions, I like to know what readers are thinking. some of you might be on the right track, but you never know what might happen! love you all for reading and reviewing.


	9. Dealing

Chapter 9: Dealing

The Princess Bride

Sakura's a normal villager in a little village, like all other girls, adoring the king-to-be, wishing that they were the prince's bride… but then one day she finds herself trying to embrace the fact that she's a princess, she _is _the prince's bride. But while living in the castle… she begins to fall in love with, not the prince, but the _prince's brother_.

**Quackquill's quilly notes**: THIS IS **NOT** BASED ON WILLIAM GOLDMAN'S BOOK THE PRINCESS BRIDE, THIS IS A TOTALLY DIFFERENT STORY WITH NOTHING TO DO WITH THAT BOOK besides a few things. (but I do love the book and movie!)

Enjoy. Cry. Laugh. Smile. _Read._

-------------

"What! What the heck are _you _doing here!" She cried, tears overflowing for joy. She hit the glass but it wasn't a window to be opened. She motioned to her balcony and she ran out, her hands stretched out below.

"How did you know I was here? How did you get here? What if someone catches you?" She cried.

The figure below beamed and shouted back, "I came to see you sis! Heard you got the measlies!"

"How did you know?"

"Big brother told me!"

"Is he here too?"

"Onii-chan!!"

Sakura burst into sobs and tears and glorious soggy happiness, "Yuki! Touya! I'm so glad to see you two! I've missed you!"

Touya looked up, his heart stinging, "Sakura…"

Yuki grinned, "Onii-chan brought me here 'cause he said he thought it'd be nice to see ya!"

"It is nice! Very nice! I wish I could come down… or…"

"No, stay up there." Touya frowned, "You're sick, you shouldn't come out. But we can't get up there either, it's beyond possible."

Yuki crossed his arms, "Hmm… I know! Onii-chan, lend me your super strength and cannonbalt me up there! It'll be like in those circus things! And you have the best aim evar!"

"Yuki I don't think that's quite…it's a bit exaggerated." Touya answered simply.

"Whatever eshagayrated means." Yuki pouted, then beamed back up at Sakura, "Big sis! No worries! I'll try to come see you as oftener as I can!"

"Of course." She smiled back cheerfully.

Touya waved and so did Yuki, she waved back.

"Some security is coming." Touya scooped up Yuki cautiously to his shoulders and bid his last farewells.

Sakura blew a kiss and Yuki caught it, smacking it hard on his cheek so he "wouldn't never forget how terribly saddish and happyish and painfully it was."

Sakura watched them hobble away and hide around in bushes, laughing merrily and remembering good old times. It was so good and nice and happy to see them again. Now she felt so glad and bubbly inside.

She sighed and remained where she was on the balcony, leaning her face on one arm and…

Suddenly, a gust of wind blew, plastering her chestnut hair to her face and stinging her eyes so she couldn't see when…

"Don't move a muscle." An icy voice behind her said.

Sakura gasped, preparing to scream when a cloth was suddenly wrapped around her mouth, preventing her from making any sounds.

Her hands were tightly knotted behind her back and she was forcibly turned towards the icy voice…

A bespectacled man?

He smiled in a most not warming way, "Hello my dear Princess. How do you do? No need to answer, just allow me and my friend," He gestured to whomever was behind her, grasping her hands tightly, "to assist you to some…_special…_room. I'm sure it'll be much more pleasant if you cooperate with us. You don't want to shake hands with this lovely dagger in my hand, do you?"

She pierced her eyes at him, muffling an answer.

"What was that? No? Very good." He laughed and walked on.

She struggled at first, but then, seeing the sharp and pointy blade of his 'lovely dagger', she resolved that it was best to follow quietly and wait for an opportunity…

None that was given to her.

She was brought to the cellar unnoticed, and put in chains. Such a dark, gloomy room…

"You'll be waiting here, don't worry, it's only a very short while. Lucky for the rusty gallows, they haven't had many visitors for quite some time."

The cellar door slammed shut loudly and he left, cackling all the way.

Sakura began to struggle against the metal chains, barring scars upon her wrists and ankles…it hurt… why was she going through so many stages in life within a week?

Could life be any more thrilling and exciting…first a peasant, then a newly discovered princess, then a kidnapped captive, a journeying princess through dangerous woods chased by gypsies and bandits…a sick measlies person, and now some, prisoner!

Oh, just what had she done wrong in her previous life!

The evening bells chimed… five o' clock already… she sniffed, and then sneezed. It sure was drafty in this cellar.

Maybe she should have been happy with castle life…it was much more comfy and warm. She began counting the stones of the cellar with nothing better to do… and occupy her brain so she wouldn't think of horrid things like the _gallows, _egh, saying that word just gave her shivers.

Well…before she would die… at least she saw Touya and Yuki… wait a minute…

Why should she be dying? Why should she be put in prison! Why should she be experiencing such a tough time! What was this? Why had her brain been so slow! She shouldn't be here! Counting stones? She should be doing better things like trying to think of a way out! Damn…

"Someone save me!" She cried, her voice muffled by the cloth tightly binding her mouth. Tears began to roll down her cheeks, "I don't want to die! I want to keep living! Yuki! Touya!… N…N…n…Naroays!"

"T-that's right! I still didn't get to say sorry to you! Although you have such a rotten, grouchy behavior I'm still indebted to you! And Sakura Kinomoto never lives in debt! I think! So… I still need to thank you and… SOMEONE COME SAVE ME!!! EYYAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

Her agonizing cry and distressing plea must have been heard, because at that moment the ground shook and the heavens roared and the skies thundered…but that moment lasted for merely a second and it was silent once more.

"Must have been my imagination." She sniffled through the cloth.

Ping, ping…Plunk! The cellar's little barred opening popped out and fell to the dusty floor.

Sakura watched with wide, pleading, hopeful eyes as a dark, shadowy and cloaked figure leapt down and landed before her… definitely superman.

It was the masked man, again, to her aid. She felt her stunned body recoil in embarrassment, and yet at the same time she wanted to fling herself out of her chains and crawl to his feet in thanks, pure thanks and all happiness.

"Oh."

Sakura blinked.

"Hmm, this isn't right." He lifted a finger to his ear and gave it a scratch.

She just gaped.

"Is that all you have to say! _Oh_? Hurry up and free me!"

"I don't understand a word." He smirked, beginning to dust his outfit in leisure.

She made a frustrated shriek.

"What an unattractive sound, at least a damsel in distress should act more pleasant."

"A least a hero should act more…heroic." She thought in her head, glaring at him angrily, "are you just going to stand like that all day?"

He laughed amusedly, which surprised Sakura…because it wasn't one of those evil, cruel cackles she had heard today, but nor was it like Yuki's bubbly, cute laughter either… his laugh was a warm, deep throated and humorous laughter… musky as his scent and dashing black attire.

"Alright I'll help you. I did come to get you, actually. Just thought it'd be fun to make you a little agitated." He laughed again, walking over and revealing his sword.

"Just a _little_ agitated, humph." She huffed.

"There." The chains dropped to the floor with several clinks and clunks.

She reached back to untie the cloth, but he stopped her by touching her hands. She looked up at him in uncertainty.

"Let's leave that there for now."

She glared at him bitterly and tore it off her face, with her mouth finally free she glanced at him haughtily with a, "Bastard."

"Is that how you speak to who freed you?"

"You were rather rude in your ways of liberating me."

"I see…" His attention was suddenly drawn to the sound of nearing footsteps. He grabbed Sakura's hand, "So, how do we get out?"

"What!" She shrieked, "What do you mean! You're the one who came to save me!"

"Shh, not so loud. I didn't plan this all out yet. But I do have an idea."

"Good, what is it?"

"Stand on top of my shoulders."

"WHAT?"

"Stop saying that! Just do it." He demanded, already crouching.

She crossed her arms defiantly, "I will never do such a thing."

"They're coming clo-ser…" He somewhat chanted.

"Erg, fine, but don't you, and I mean it, don't you _dare _look up!" She began to put her feet on his shoulders.

He lifted her up and in a naughty case of curiosity…

"Ughff…"

Sakura smirked as she looked down, "I knew you'd do it, keep thinking about it and I'll knock your head off."

He growled, wondering if he should tell her he had seen enough in that one second…

Sakura was able to crawl out of the cellar… but by then the guards had arrived and Sakura heard the slashing of his sword. Again, she had been able to safely escape because of him … and still she had forgotten to thank him.

"Run!" he called out, and she obediently ran to whichever way she thought was safest…

-

She was beginning to run out of breath, where the heck was she anyways? At least it wasn't near the castle. Hadn't it just been a few days before and she had been running around in the woods as well, except now she was trying to get _away _from the castle…

"Sakura? Is that you?"

Sakura spun around immediately, making a fighting poise, "Who's there!"

"It's me! Tomoyo." Tomoyo revealed herself from the bushes, her hair glittering with dew and her eyes, cheeks, and mouth delicately painted. She held a lantern in one hand, and the tip of her scarf in the other. She looked peculiarly sorrowful.

"T-tomoyo! Oh, I'm so relieved." Sakura collapsed to the ground, "I thought I would be dead for sure."

"I see you've escaped. Where's Naroays?"

"Still fighting I think. I hope he's alright. That idiot." She exhaled slowly, than inhaled the crisp, fresh air, "It feels good to be out here, if only it weren't so cold._ sneeze_."

Tomoyo smiled, "Come, I think it's better if you come into my little cabin. It'll be cozier and maybe you can have something to eat." She led Sakura in, allowing her to take a seat on the foreign rugs and incensed cushions with golden tassels.

Tomoyo brought a wooden bowl of steaming stew, "I made this, have some. I heard you're sick."

Sakura gave her gratitude and drank it ravenously, she had been feeling quite hungry and the palace food was never so as delicious as this. They sat together for a little while, chatting about small things, talking about their past…well, mostly Sakura did the talking and Tomoyo nodded and smiled. Throughout it all, Sakura felt Tomoyo's gentleness but also her ill ease and sorrow…

"What's wrong Tomoyo, you don't seem well?" Sakura asked, holding her hands in concern, "Tell me, perhaps I can help you."

Tomoyo looked down sadly, "I…I'm very sorry Sakura. I've done some horrible things. You see…I, I hope I don't bore you at all."

"Of course not." Sakura smiled warmly, and Tomoyo returned the smile, "I guess I should tell you my past as you have."

She began,

"You see, I devoted my life to sorcery since I was young, I was born and raised by some gypsies, they were quite kind to me and told me that my mother left me alone in a small basket floating about in a lily lake. They've told me that's where I got my beauty because I had been basked in the lake's moonshine, anyways, after doing much sorcery I became quite adept… but I yearned to know my blood lineage and my mother.

"Sakura, you are of Kinomoto blood, my lineage is linked within yours somewhat, but I merely found this out from the color of my eyes, yes, amethyst, just as your eyes are emerald, a woman told me that long ago. So I came to this land and still hoping to find out about my parents, lived here for a while and established myself a sorceress that exchanges deals.

"Here I've discovered many things, and I found out about my parents, but through a terrible deal, a deal I wish I could have taken back. It's one of my greatest regrets…you see, many have come to me and I've learned many dark secrets, too many in fact. And one of the laws of sorcery is that I cannot disobey my client's deals for my own interests…but I have done just that. In order to protect you and Naroays, I've crossed too many secrets and revealed too much.

"Sakura, I am truly sorry… I have made a terrible deal with evil and I am prepared to take responsibility. I'm afraid we can no longer meet, I can no longer be a sorceress and I am in grave danger for trespassing dark secrets…"

Sakura stared at Tomoyo in confusion, everything in her mind was muddled and she felt drowsy, but she clung onto Tomoyo's hand faithfully and dutifully.

"Tomoyo, I'm sure you'll be fine. You're sad now because I think you're giving up what you love to do for those you love… thank you for protecting me and Naroays, but Tomoyo, you have to protect yourself as well because we want to protect you too… I'm sorry I'm just really sleepy and… just do whatever you think is right… I'm sure we'll meet again."

Tomoyo's painted eyes began to stain with tears, "Oh Sakura, you're such a dear. To think…to think… we can never meet again. You will despise me for what I've done. Believe me, in the next world I will do whatever I can to make up for it. Sakura, do forgive me if you can…"

But Sakura lay sound asleep.

There was a knock on the door.

Tomoyo stood up and opened it hesitatingly, nearly unwillingly.

A cruel smile greeted her, "My dear, I see you've kept your end of the deal. I will take her now."

Tomoyo stopped him from entering, "No, before you take her, you must keep your end of the deal."

"What is it? Money? Jewels? I have it all. Gladly."

She shook her head, "This time I will not be beguiled by those fanciful tools, I ask of a greater thing. Betraying one's trust requires a grave price. If you do not keep your end of the deal, even graver things shall happen to you. Prince."

He frowned, feeling uneasy about her request, "Right…out with it."

Tomoyo inhaled sharply, feeling beads of perspire trail down her neck, "I ask of you that…"

The moon looked full and blue that night.

* * *

an: most boringest chapter evarrr, i dont know why i wrote it. oh well, at least we know something about tomoyo. 

and omg, i just found out that those Bs : A A A like, change the font and size of the letters. holy cow i never knew that. wow its amazing. xD okay, nayways... i just hope nobody fell asleep while reading this laaame chapter. well, i did.

but ty to everyone who reviewed, and trusting me to make it a good SxS pairing.


	10. Moonlight Monster

Chapter 10: Moonlight Monster

The Princess Bride

Sakura's a normal villager in a little village, like all other girls, adoring the king-to-be, wishing that they were the prince's bride… but then one day she finds herself trying to embrace the fact that she's a princess, she _is _the prince's bride. But while living in the castle… she begins to fall in love with, not the prince, but the _prince's brother_.

**Quackquill's quilly notes**: gasp. and i had NOO intention of using The Man in the Iron Mask plot. Dx i have never heard of that book, but since everyone seemed to talk about it in their reviews (because, yes, i read every single review ten times. xP), i decided to check it out. and OMG. ...its true. it totally does seem like The Man in the Iron Mask! xD great, Dumas, i knew we had identical intelligences but... for goodness sakes! ANYWAYS, i love Alexandre Dumas and i love Monte Christo and Three musketeers, and im going to read the man in the iron mask...and im going to shut up...

Enjoy. Cry. Laugh. Smile. _Read._

--

"So, you thought you could help free the princess, did you?"

Naroays glared at the glinting glasses of the blue-haired man.

"I _did_."

"So you think." He grinned, tilting his head deviously, "You don't seem to understand that…that was part of the plan."

The masked man's eyebrows furrowed, "What…"

"That's right, either way, the Princess has been recaptured and been brought into the castle again, she won't escape twice. And you. I know about _the _secret. The Prince has told me all about it myself."

Naroays remained icily silent, not bothering to remove his hands from the chains or try to escape from the chair. He sat and listened to the blue-haired and thickly-rimmed glassed man. He looked out of the window and saw a beam of moonlight touch the tip of his toes. He glared back at the man, who grinned like a devil at him.

Naroays gave a tough "huh". They were planning to detain him here as his time arrived. They thought that this could stop him?

"Why are you still in here then if you know my secret?"

"I'm making sure you don't escape." He grinned, beginning to move his index finger around in the air, "You see…I've been training for this."

"Training?" Naroays gave him a sharp look.

"Yes, training for the time when I must detain you. I have been for a few years. I think I'm quite skillful at it." His finger began to rapidly make shapes in the air.

"I see." Naroays sat back, acting quite relaxed, "Go on with it then. I'm waiting."

The man frowned, this guy wasn't getting anxious as he thought he would be… had he some, trick of his own?

"Not getting fidgety I see."

"I guess, if you're going to detain me here, it's much better than being out in the wild. Of course, I don't really like the thought that it's my enemy detaining me but…no matter." He yawned loudly, leaning back patiently.

_There's still something strange about this…_ Eriol thought.

"Oh, and may I have a cup of coffee, this activity is quite tiring. I'm sure you'd appreciate it if I were much more livelier under your detainment."

Eriol grit his teeth angrily, "I don't have any cups or coffee."

"Well, I can do with neither. At least, could I have some jam and bread?"

"What is this! A coffee station? I am _not _going to feed you! I'm _just trying to __**kill you**_! Do you understand now! So shut up and allow my work to be done!" Eriol fumed, and when he had finished, one of his hairs was sticking up… and his working index finger had to curl it down again impatiently.

"I see. So this is to kill me." Naroays mused amusedly.

"Yes! I'm glad you get the picture." Eriol huffed.

"Well, of course I'm just going to sit back here and allow myself to be killed by some blue-haired thickly-rimmed glassed man who has been practicing for years just as I have been since—"

"That's quite sensible of you." Eriol nodded in approval.

"Why thank you I must say that…. OF COURSE I WON'T YOU MORON!" Naroays pushed himself backwards against the wall and crushed the chair beneath him. The beams of moonlight were drawing too near now, they had reached his elbows and it was quite fearsome the way his legs had turned out already. But it was just as he wanted, now he had speed, agility and…

"The room stinks a little, doesn't it." Naroays sniffed as though searching for the source.

Eriol somewhat flushed, "I…well, doesn't matter anyways. You! Sit down now!"

"I think your spells are failing, you've been somewhat easily distracted." He darted towards the wall, covering himself from the moon with his cloak.

"That darned… get the hell back in that…that broken chair! Ugh! Th-this is preposterous!" Eriol pounded the floor with his left foot, his spells falling to the floor like crumbled stardust.

Naroays vanished as he broke through the walls and tumbled into the maze of the castle, leaving behind a flustered blue-haired thickly rimmed glassed man pounding his feet.

He began winding his way down the staircases, knocking over waitresses and glasses… causing squeals and shrieks of fright. _There are windows everywhere, _Naroays thought bitterly, continuing to flee about in the castle. Where could he escape it all?

He ran on and hurled himself into the nearest rooms, only being invited by the hand of a prickly broom or a menacing slap. There had to be someplace!

-

The Prince had personally supervised in bringing the princess to her room. He sat there for a while, contemplating over the sorceress's request.

"Ha, bizarre. Quite disagreeable in my eyes actually." He pinched his eyes thoughtfully, "there must be a way out of it."

Sakura tossed in her sleep, mumbling and murmuring…

"Hm? What is it my princess?"

"I just…wanna go home…"

"Oh? Don't worry, I'll be sending you off to a better life. The after-life." He began chuckling at his own joke, actually…

"I don't want to die…"

"Nobody does at first, I'm sure you'll understand the imperfections of this life is not very pleasant."

"IIyaaaaaaaaaaa!!" (translation: noooooo!!)

"My goodness, how unbecoming." He frowned disappointingly, "I might have spared you if your scream were as beautiful as your face. But, sadly, no." He sighed.

There was a soft sob beneath the bed sheets.

"You may cry, to your heart's consent. A lack of comfort always does good before death." He yawned as he sat back, placing his boots on the bed and beginning to pick his teeth in amusement, "Your beloved friend's request is truly bizarre, this will do you no good."

Sakura wiped her tears, "So you knew…"

"Yes, you were awake the moment that guard tripped a bit along the way in." He chuckled, "I've been asked to spare you a few minutes before I call for my happy dagger, in fact, I have the happiest dagger on earth, never seen one such gleeful about killing."

"So Tomoyo…" Sakura clutched the bed sheets.

"It's alright, vent out your hatred and anger about her betrayal, nothing better to listen to." He licked one of his sharp white teeth.

Sakura shook her head, "I'm not angry, though I do wonder why she did such a thing… I'm sure she had a reason. Tomoyo told me she was sorry, so she must allowed me to be in your hands for a reason." She sniffed, "To talk to you maybe."

He perked an eyebrow at her, "Why should we talk anyways."

"Since we're supposedly getting engaged, married, but actually the groom is planning to kill his bride." She curled her feet together for more warmth, "I wonder why he's planning such an abominable thing."

He chuckled, flicking some dirt out of his teeth, "You really want to know? It's top secret. Sor-ry."

"Well then… what was father like?"

He blinked in surprise, "What do you mean?"

"I mean your father. And the man my mother was supposed to marry. I wonder what he looks like. You?"

The Prince balled up his fist in rage, "I look nothing like _him_. That guy never cared a soul about anyone but himself."

Sakura peered over her shoulder in curiosity, "How so?"

He glared at her, for once actually losing his cool, "Don't try to beguile me into talking about it."

"But I want to. I want to hear about the past king. Your father. I want to hear more about you and your obsession with killing me. Can't the one about to be killed be curious about the reason they're about to be killed for?"

"Ha, whatever for. Dead people are better dead ignorant."

"No, dead people usually know something they don't. Tell me what I shouldn't know, maybe it'll make my death much more suitable than it is. Give me a reason for all this!"

"Trying to be tricky and demanding now are we, I understand that you don't want to die." He sneered.

"I don't. But I want to make the best of the time that I know you've promised to keep me safe." She sat up defiantly, "Hurry up, I want to make my last moments treasurable."

He chuckled, it was still an evil chuckle, "Why should I let them be treasured, I just want to get out of this and kill you."

"Arrogant." She spat at him disgustedly.

He jumped to his feet angrily, glowering, "No one has called me that."

"Arrogant. Pompous. Snob. High and mighty _prince!_" She spat again.

"You're crossing a dangerous line." He stepped close to her, so that she could feel his horrendous breath, "This ugly side of me is something you'll never forget." He curled his lips, making Sakura's spine shiver in dreaded fear. Perhaps she _had _crossed the line…

He leaned towards her and grabbed her shoulders, making her jump, then leaned to her ear and whispered, "You want to hear a dangerous secret? I'll tell you one."

Sakura's eyes widened in fear and anticipation, she hoped he didn't feel how shaky her body was. He had the scent of death, blood, and sweat. She was sweating herself.

"Your beloved masked hero is nothing but …"

She heard him lick his teeth…

"…a _monster_."

There was some blank, shocked expression upon her face, and inside she felt electrocuted by thunder and her body frozen and rigid as ice…

And he let go of her, beginning to break out in peals of cruel, amused laughter.

Sakura watched him blankly, walking around the room like a maniac.

"Prince."

He stopped and looked at her halfway through a loud cackle.

She got out of the bed and stood up, walked toward him and…

_SLAP!_

"Hopefully that will allow you to come to your senses. You may be a Prince, and you may find your stupid secret hilarious, but I've had enough. Go ahead and kill me if you want, what does it matter anyways. Death would probably be much better than my life as a princess now."

She stood before him, coldly glaring at him and standing rigidly. Her fingernails were dug deep into her thighs from trying to keep her body from trembling.

He surveyed her with grit teeth, then took out his dagger and held it up, "Have it your way."

He raised the dagger and placed it on her stomach, gently pressing it in slowly… torture was the best way for death.

He grinned as a trickle of blood oozed out, but Sakura didn't dare flinch or bat an eyelash.

He stopped midway, examining her once more. Finally he stopped and pulled out the dagger that had merely pierced a bit of her skin.

He stowed away his dagger and grinned at her.

"I'll have to give you the credit of bravery, and that is what has saved your life this time." He grabbed her jaw and tilted her face sideways so he could get a better look at her, "Maybe, and I mean maybe, I _just _might allow this marriage to take place. It wouldn't be too bad." He let her go, and then exited the room, continuing his hysterical laughter.

Sakura lay sprawled on the floor, holding her stomach and beginning a series of hiccups.

"T-Tou-ya…Y-yuki…" She shut her eyes and bit her lip, "I'm t-oo sca-ared to li-ive now…"

The hiccups bit into her stomach like a dagger with each inhale.

-

Naroays sat crouched, writhing in pain. It was truly starting…the transformation… he clutched the marble floor and walls…then heard a door close nearby. Footsteps…leaving…

Perhaps that room was empty… He crawled on his belly towards the room, opened the door and thrust himself inside, beginning to feel the writhing pain of his body… his mind was beginning to leave him…

A voice called him… not his true name but a familiar name… he couldn't hear it clearly, everything was becoming a distant blur and a muddled combination of screams and cries within his head buried everything else…

Then he heard it again…clearer…

"Naroays?"

Yet everything was so twisted…it nearly sounded like…

"Syaoran…"

-end of chapter 10-

* * *

l.o.ool. i thought of Mulan at the end... xD

err, my grammar isnt perrfect. and i didnt really poofread. poof? ha! so many errors! oh well.

love yall. plz plz plz review Dx cuz ill give you an imaginary... cookie. that you cant eat but you can see. ok that was soo lame im having a heartattack.


	11. Hello, Beastish Thing

Chapter 11: Hello, Beastish Thing

The Princess Bride

Sakura's a normal villager in a little village, like all other girls, adoring the king-to-be, wishing that they were the prince's bride… but then one day she finds herself trying to embrace the fact that she's a princess, she _is _the prince's bride. But while living in the castle… she begins to fall in love with, not the prince, but the _prince's brother_.

**Quackquill's quilly notes**: lamest title. evar. and since i'm sure i've already made enough disclaimers about the princess bride and the man in the iron mask... haha! i can finally believe that my story is original! ..but then there's beauty and the beast... darnit! i fail as an originally creative writer! anyways...

Enjoy. Cry. Laugh. Smile. _Read._

--

Memory is important. Remember that.

That is something someone once told me. But I have lost my memory from the past. A cruel loss indeed. I tried to recover it through a deal, but it was refused. I decided I had asked too much, but then I knew, many had asked more than I have. I merely want to know what happened. I merely want to understand that lost piece of my life…

Yet she tells me it is better if I do not learn of it. I have seen her cry and beg of me, and so I have lost to a beautiful woman's tears.

This life is tedious. Beneath the full moon I must experience the transformation into a hideous beast. A beast even I do not know of because I never remember such occasions. At least…that moon is rare. Not just any full moon but a blue moon, which merely appears only a few times a year.

But those nights are the longest of the year. They last for what feels like two nights. I know for I am a trapped soul within a monstrous body. A hideous, hated body. A body that will destroy and kill at whatever is in sight. A body that I must protect so I can continue living.

But I know whom to blame all this for. Yet I cringe at the sight of him, a fear that comes from my body, not my soul. I tremble before him, no, rather my body trembles before him. And he hates the sight of my body, the monstrous body that fears him…

-

Sakura gasped as a shadowy figure lurched into her room. The door closed with a hard, struggling push and the figure sprawled before her on her floor, writhing in madness and agony.

She took a step back and recognized the cloak…the mask…

"Naroays? W-what's happened to you?" She clutched the end of her bedpost in fear.

He looked up at her, his eyes nearly seemed to…plead…plead for help?

How many times had he helped her, saved her when she called for it… and here it was her turn to return the favor.

Although she did feel like turning her back and running and screaming in fear…

Something melted in her heart, she wasn't sure what but perhaps it was sympathy.

Now she knew why he wore a mask…she bent down and pulled the mask off his sweaty face, the mask was nearly glued onto his face and it took some effort pulling it off.

To her amazement… it was as though it were the Prince himself there on the floor as a different person…

It was the same face.

"B-but… you're… why do you look exactly like…the Prince?" She gaped, remembering what the Prince had said, "And you're really…a monster…?" She gulped at the sudden realization.

He was shrieking and shouting, his eyes squeezed shut, his body becoming more and more hairy, hideous, ugly.

His teeth were barring into fangs…

After seeing those teeth, she was really getting frightened. She wanted to run away, run run! He's going to eat you!

But she grit her teeth, remembering how he had helped her. She bent down and hesitatingly…reached out a hand and touched his warping face warmly.

"I-is it painful?" She asked softly.

Something about that phrased changed him…he appeared to be much more relaxed.

Sakura continued hoping it was somewhat working, "Don't be afraid, it will go away… somehow."

His squeezed shut eyes began to open slowly, those fiery monstrous eyes turning back into those melting auburn eyes…that stared up at her and…

He roared and lunged.

Sakura screamed as she was pushed back against the floor. Her heart was beating in rapid fear.

"He's going to eat me…he's going to eat me…I knew it! I am going to die either way!" She cried while covering her face with her hands.

She held her breath in and waited to feel the ferocious fangs of the beast…who she once knew as Naroays…who had the same face as the evil Prince Syaoran… This was all very strange, really. She couldn't understand what sort of past deed she had done to deserve this kind of life.

But to her surprise, there was no biting or gnawing. She heard slobbery licking.

"Eww!" She gasped in disgust as she peered over her body.

The ugly beast was licking her…her…blood from her stomach where the Prince had stabbed her. She blinked. The wincing pain she had felt just a moment ago had disappeared.

She watched with shock until she began to remember how ticklish she was.

"Ssstop!" She tried to push him away, "S-s-stop! I-it t-tick-les!" She giggled.

The hairy, fearsome beast with those familiar auburn eyes finally removed itself when it had finished feasting on her blood. It sounds rather gruesome, but for some reason, it had had a therapeutic effect on her wound.

Sakura sat up, her eyes glued on the beast, which was now licking the floor and his face.

"What…what are you? Really?" She looked at her stomach with wide eyes. The wound was gone.

The beast glanced at her for a moment. It was a hungry look that gave her chills.

"Wasn't enough?" She whispered hoarsely, "Are you going to eat all of me now?"

The beast spun around and made for her window.

"No!" She grabbed him, stopping him, "Don't leave! I have too many questions!"

The beast snarled and released itself from her grasp. She looked around desperately and grabbed his mask.

"You need this when you become human again, don't you?" She said threateningly, the beast stopped snarling, "I'll be keeping this if you leave now. And I won't give it back."

The beast glowered at her, but didn't bare its teeth or try to lunge at her again.

She smirked, "That's more like it. Now sit." She pointed to the ground.

It sat, begrudgingly.

"Now all I have to do is wait until morning so you can answer my questions." She cradled the mask in her hand, "Hm, why don't we play a game?"

The beast rolled its eyes.

"I'm not going to allow myself to fall asleep, don't think I'm that stupid," she snapped.

The beast decided to lie down and rest its head on its paws.

"Pretending to sleep?" She laughed, "Very sly. I'm keeping a watch on you."

The beast licked its lips and chewed on its teeth.

"You're hungry?" She asked, "I don't have any meat for you."

The beast moved it nose toward her legs and sniffed. Bam!

"You perverted beast!" The beast massaged its poor head.

"Fine. I'll get you something to eat. Don't move from here!" She ordered. The beast kept still promisingly.

Sakura slipped out of the room very subtly and made her way toward the kitchen. She found a hearty piece of meat and returned to her bedroom.

When she had slipped back in, she nearly screamed.

"What have you done!" She whispered sharply, "My clothes! My bedsheets! Everything! It's everywhere!"

The beast looked back at her innocently with one of her undergarments over his head.

She grabbed it from his head and slammed the mask down on its head again, "No meat for you!"

The beast growled and sat down in a very melancholy way, pretending to repent its actions.

"Hmph! You'll have to wait!" She turned around but was suddenly knocked off her feet.

The beast had grabbed the meat with his teeth and was tugging it from her grasp. She was kicking him as hard as she could and calling him all of the worst things she could think of.

Sakura stumbled backwards and the beast was on top of her, chewing happily away at the meat and letting the saliva drip on her face.

"Why you…!" She sighed angrily, wiping the drool from her face, "Get off me you slimy, filthy beast! I won't forgive you for this!"

But his strength was far greater than hers, and he kept her beneath him until he had finished. When he had finished, he licked her face cheerfully, making her giggle and curse.

"If this is your way of kissing me from happiness…then please, don't bother!" She finally succeeded in pushing him off.

But by now she was rather exhausted, and she was moving over to the bed, still grasping his fur tightly.

"I'm getting sleepy. But you're not leaving as long as I keep a hold on you." She got into the bed, pulling him on too, still holding on tight.

Sakura yawned and settled her head on the pillows, hugging the beast tightly. He felt so warm and cuddly…like a pillow. His fur was so comfortable, though it smelled like raw meat and blood, but the way his body rose and fell…it was like she was cuddling in bed with her own little pet.

She sighed and fell into deep sleep.

The beast closed its eyes as well, feeling warm and needed in her arms.

-

It was nearly morning. The beast awoke, feeling that its time was nearly finished. He looked back at the sleeping princess and then at the mask in her hand. He rose and reached for the mask, holding it gently between his teeth.

He leaped off the bed and was prepared to leave when he heard her cry…

"Touya…Yuki…I don't…I don't want to die…"

The beast looked back. A small tear had formed from her tightly squeezed eyes, now it was rolling down her cheek…and another…falling into her white pillow where he had lain.

He returned, licking the tears off her face gently. She giggled sadly, "You pervert…who are you really?"

The beast turned to leave, but felt something grab its fur tightly.

"Don't leave me…" She pleaded, her eyes open. The beast looked into the groggy green eyes that were misty with sleep.

The beast gently reached over and touched her forehead with his nose…and closed his eyes.

There was no helping it. The sun was rising.

Both their heads fell back into the pillow as the last touch of night faded.

-end of chapter 11-

* * *

preview of next chapter. Cuz I seriously cannot wait. Squeal!

"_Oh. My. Freaking. Fucking. God."_

Yup! And that's your preview!

To clear up confusions in last chapter..

end at the end does not mean the end of the story only end of the chapter unless I say it's the end of the story…but sorry about that. I'll be sure to be careful next time! Wouldn't be nice if I could have ended the story right there tho? Hm...

and watch mulan if you didn't understand the end of the last chapter. Egh, I don't know how to explain it when somebody is becoming unconscious and they hear their name but it becomes all twisted so they hear something else which is not what anybody is saying but is what the they believe they hear because of…reasons.

In case that cleared up absolutely nothing…don't worry about it. D: life is already as confusing as it is.

Review anyways!


	12. Dress Manly

Chapter 12: Dress Manly

The Princess Bride

Sakura's a normal villager in a little village, like all other girls, adoring the king-to-be, wishing that they were the prince's bride… but then one day she finds herself trying to embrace the fact that she's a princess, she _is _the prince's bride. But while living in the castle… she begins to fall in love with, not the prince, but the _prince's brother_.

**Quackquill's quilly notes**: THIS IS **NOT** BASED ON WILLIAM GOLDMAN'S BOOK THE PRINCESS BRIDE, THIS IS A TOTALLY DIFFERENT STORY WITH NOTHING TO DO WITH THAT BOOK besides a few things.

Enjoy. Cry. Laugh. Smile. _Read._

-------------

"I see you've failed." A cold and cruel voice said.

"Well you see I just..."

"No excuses. You're terribly useless."

"No really, next time for sure I'll…"

"Next time?" The voice seemed to ask vapid air.

The round thick-rimmed spectacles perched upon his crooked nose trembled.

"I see, so you believe that there is always a _tomorrow_, I see…yes indeed very troublesome." The evil grin grew on his lips, "I shall have to get rid of that habit altogether."

"R-r-rid? I-I don't understand…" He fell to his feet and bowed his head to the ground, "I ask forgiveness! Please! Your highness! Great, merciful highness…"

"Merciful, what a strong adjective." The smile turned to a furrowing frown, quite unpleasant, "Yes, quite unpleasant."

"P-prince…what are you going to d-do with me? W-with that…that…gun…" He looked up, trembling as he watched the Prince draw nearer, caressing a polished gun.

"Oh, Eriol dear," He grinned, "I remember you saying my shot was most excellent? Let me show you again…"

A loud shot and piercing cry rang throughout the castle.

"Now that I've disposed of this humbug… come on out my little black bird." He called out.

Out of the darkness a tan slender woman with magnificent long flowing hair stepped out, she kneeled before him humbly, "At your service, your highness…"

-

A smear of dandelion yellow and mellow orange spread across the violet sky, tufts of pink clouds lined across the horizon as a rising sun awoke from its night slumber.

A morning bird stood on a branch and let out a sweet chirping sound, greeting the morning sky.

Inside the Princess' bedroom, someone was stirring.

It was Naroays, who was rubbing his eyes and mouth.

He smelled his breath and winced, "Man…my mouth tastes like blood again. I must have eaten something rotten."

Then his eyes fluttered open and he stared at his surroundings.

His eyes suddenly widened in pure shock.

"Oh. My. Freaking. Fucking. God."

-

Sakura sighed and stretched out her arms. Her hand hit something. Hard.

She opened her eyes. Yes. She was in her bedroom. It was morning…wait a minute… she turned her head around and felt her jaw fall from its place.

"Oh. My. Freaking. Fucking. God."

She looked up at Naroays who was in just as much shock as she was.

Naroays was freaking _naked_. _In her bed_. And they were both screaming at the top of their lungs.

"What the hell am I doing here!" He yelled, grabbing the sheets and covering himself.

"Oh my god, this is so wrong in so many ways." She covered her eyes and groaned.

His eyes widened again. His hands flew to his face. No mask.

He grabbed the mask, which was in front of him, and immediately covered his face with it.

Sakura grabbed the mask off, suddenly recollecting the events from yesterday night.

"I've already seen your face! So spill!" She stared at him intently, "Why do you and the Prince have the same face! Who and what are you?!"

Naroays kept silent for a moment. Sakura could feel herself trembling in anxiety.

"I…" He faced her seriously, his eyebrows knit very precariously, "I don't know."

Sakura stared at him, "W-what? I waited all night for you to say _that_? You think I'm that obtuse? Tell me the truth!"

"Hold on, hold on," he sighed, "First…tell me what happened last night." He covered his face with his palm, "I feel…really…awkward right now…"

Sakura pursed her lips and blushed, "Yah, er…I didn't know it would turn out like…" She stole a fleeting glance at his naked body and turned away quickly, blushing an even deeper red, "You came into my room last night, looking terrible."

He let out a nervous laugh, "Figures."

"But I saw your face, which was a shock. Why do you look…just like him? I didn't understand, but you were in so much pain and so I didn't run away."

Naroays looked at her with a raised brow, "You weren't scared?"

"Of course I was!" She shouted, "I was scared to my bones! You randomly turning into this…this hairy thing! Egh, it was like those scary ghost stories I told Yuki when he was…never mind! So then when you turned into that beast you suddenly…" She was blushing again, "You licked my blood…"

"Hm," He wiped his mouth, "No wonder this taste is so foul."

She glared at him, but continued on with her story until she finished retelling last night's events.

"I didn't bite you or anything?" He asked, surprised.

"No, you weren't as violent, I mean, as violent as I thought." She shrugged, "But now it's your turn! Don't even think about tricking me!"

He was very still, and his eyes seemed very far away…like he was trying to remember a far-off memory that was on the brim of reality and fantasy…like he wasn't sure of it himself even.

"I…I don't really know." He said at last, "I woke up like this one day. And…no one knows I exist. Except for a few people."

"That doesn't answer any of my questions!" Sakura said impatiently.

He looked down at his hands then back up at her, his sad, forlorn eyes making her melt inside.

"I'm the Prince's twin brother. And I'm a cursed monster."

Sakura felt icy chills run through her entire body. The words echoed in her mind…twin brother…twin brother…

Sakura sat still. Naroays took back the mask and placed it back on his face.

"Could you…"

"Huh? Oh, yeah." She turned around and covered her face.

He got off the bed and put on his cloak. The rest of his clothes were in shreds.

"Oh hell," he muttered, picking up the shreds in vain.

Sakura looked over and let a laugh escape her lips.

"No clothes for you?"

There was a knocking at the door.

"Princess? I'm here to help you dress. The Prince would like to see you."

Sakura and Naroays exchanged glances.

"Um, no need! I can dress myself!" Sakura called out shakily.

"Are you alright Princess?"

"Y-yes! I'm perfectly fine! In fact, I'm going to dress right now!"

"In that case, I will enter to clean your room."

Sakura looked around the room, noticing the untidiness and obvious presence of a beast last night…

"No!" She said rather sharply, "I…I'm dressing right now! It's…embarrassing!"

"I don't mind."

"Well, I do! So please! I'll take care of everything!"

"Really?"

Sakura was pulling Naroays into her closet as she yelled out, "Yes! I'm fine!"

She pushed Naroays in and locked it.

"Don't make any sound!" She whispered harshly.

Sakura was now running around her room frantically trying to clean up everything everywhere…

"This is all his fault! If he hadn't made such a mess while I was trying to get meat last night! That beastly perverted…"

"I can hear you!" he called out.

"Shut up! Don't make sounds!"

Sakura finished tidying up and changed into a dress.

Meanwhile… Naroays had been staring at the dresses with several things on his mind…

He had to wear something. Beneath his cloak, he was naked! He needed clothes…

He suddenly looked up and at his surroundings. A closet, full of dresses! Clothes! Perfect! Yes. Perfect…if he had been a girl! Dumb ass! Why should he go as low as wearing some damn dress!

He grimaced as his head boiled in frustration. Why were these dresses so tempting! He was a man for heavens sake! A man! He would never throw away his pride and wear a dress…no, never! He gulped, or would he? No!

He grabbed a fistful of his hair and groaned.

Yes. Life is truly a road full of difficult decisions.

…

"Naroays? Are you still in there?" She whispered.

"Yes you stupid! Where else would I go?"

"Ok… I'm going to try to get some clothes for you…"

"Oh thank god. I was scared I would actually have to wear a…uh, never mind."

"What? What did you just say?"

"I didn't say anything."

"You did, wear what?"

"Nothing!"

"A dress?"

"Fuck you! I said nothing of the sort!"

A naughty grin played on Sakura's lips. A little idea had just formed inside her mind…

"Ok then, I'll be back soon." She said sweetly, then pretended to leave for a short while.

Naroays was slumped against the door, heaving a relieved sigh.

"Good thing I didn't give her any ideas…" He rubbed his face and then buried his eyes in his hands, "No! Don't even think about it! Don't look at them! They're tempting you! They know what you're thinking! Don't…don't! Aggghhhh! I'm a man! I'm a man! I'm a—"

"Naroays? Are you all right in there?"

Naroays snapped back into regular posture and let the door open.

"Yes, perfectly fine. So, where are my clothes?" He noticed her hands were behind her back.

"I'm really sorry…but they didn't have anything else but…" She sighed, "This."

Naroays could not believe it. "You want me to wear…_that_?" He pointed to the suit as if she was asking him to eat metal, which would be much more manly than…

"A_ maid costume_?"

Sakura heaved a sigh, "I know, but I tried my best. The Prince seems to rarely hire any men around here and so there weren't any extra male suits…I'm sorry." She pouted, "But if you don't like this," She brightened, "There are plenty of dresses in my closet here!"

"No!" He screamed, losing complete control over his normally calm and composed posture.

Sakura was slightly taken aback, but was actually enjoying his reactions more than she thought she would...she gave a smirk on the inside.

"Okay then, maid suit it is! Here you go. If you need help, just call me." She winked and left the closet, bursting into silent giggles.

And so Naroays was left with a single maid costume in his hands…

Sakura could barely hear him chanting a certain phrase over and over... "I'm a man…no matter what, I'm still a man, a man…I'm a man…"

"Finished?" She heard a barely audible grunt.

She entered the dressing room and stared wide-eyed at him. She burst into peals and fits of hysterical laughter as she stuck a finger at him.

He glared at her and fidgeted uneasily, "Will you shut up? I don't understand how anybody could wear such a thing."

Sakura, wiping away the drool from all the laughter and lack of oxygen, snorted, "I can tell, when you wear it!" And then began another series of laughter.

"You could…assist me!" He folded his hands.

"All right, I will." She nodded, regaining calmness, "First of all, you're wearing it backwards." His eyes bulged in shock and he complained about how hard it was to tell… "Second, those buttons are in the wrong holes, the way you…never mind, you didn't tie a knot even at the end. Third, your hairy legs are sooo obvious…none of this is attractive at all!" She shook her head disappointedly.

Naroays was now ready to destroy everything in the room at the moment…but Sakura was already undressing him and tugging the dress the correct way on. He was shocked. How could she be so bold and unabashed? This girl was crazy! Insane!

"I'll need to get you some stockings and a wig. Maybe fix your face…" She grabbed his face and examined it, while his eyes were wide in shock and surprise. She nodded, "Definitely something for your face."

His body was as still as stone while she was tying up the strings in the back. It was as if…his body was suddenly conscious to her existence, even though he could not see her but feel her fingers, pulling on the strings and winding them through the holes…

Her presence had never been so…so…clear to him before. He couldn't describe it.

Then she turned him around and was beginning to button his blouse from the front. He stared at the top of her head where her hair was neatly parted…and at her deeply concentrated face as she worked to get those tiny little buttons in the right place. And her little diligent fingers, working their way up his body…

He felt heat rising to his face each time her hand just nearly brushed against his chest. He had to hold in his breath for as long as he could so as not to allow her notice his heavy, erratic breathing. He squeezed his eyes shut so he wouldn't notice those large, green eyes that looked at him curiously from time to time.

"You're being awfully quiet. Oh wait, you're always like that." She shrugged and continued on. Her insides were just bubbling with mocking glee. Look at the cool iron-masked guy now! Wearing a maid's dress. Oh if only she could capture this moment!

She handed him some stockings and helped him adjust the wig so his the curls of his untamed hair would stay beneath hit…then she added a little bit of powder to his face, ignoring his coughing and pretense of suffocating.

"Look!" She forced him to look into the mirror, "You look so pretty!"

He groaned and rolled his eyes, "That is exactly what I wanted to hear…"

"At least you'll pass."

He grabbed his mask and placed it on his face, but she snatched it off, like she had been doing quite often lately…

"No mask."

"I need it. Especially with a face like mine! Have you not noticed it yet? I look exactly like the Prince!"

"Then…we'll have to do this." She found a veil and placed it over his mask, "You have an ugly scar over your face. Remember that!"

Sakura stepped outside of her room and smiled at a maid nearby, "Could you get me a towel please? I spilled some tea."

Sakura set out to send other servants on errands so Naroays could step out, unnoticed.

"I hate this." He grumbled.

"Now, now, Naroays, don't be so grumbly in the morning. Let's go."

She escorted him to a nearby exit, where he said goodbye rather sulkily…when suddenly a voice interrupted them from behind.

"Why, what a pleasant morning it is, Princess."

Sakura turned around sharply, "Prince!"

"Don't be so shocked, didn't I ask for you to join me to breakfast at precisely…eight? What time is it? Hm, eight forty. I hate waiting you know." He gave a small smile that made Sakura shiver.

"Now who is that pretty maid over there?" His eyes darted suspiciously toward Naroays, "Why a veil on such a wonderful day?"

Naroays winced.

"Oh! This is a new maid, she was escorting me to…to the garden so I could take a breath of fresh air. Breakfast you said? Sounds great. Shall we go now?" Sakura tried to keep on a cheerful smile, but could only feel her knees trembling as she tried to lead the Prince away.

"Perhaps." He said, unconvinced. His glare lingered on Naroays for a moment, but he allowed himself to escort Sakura to the dining hall…

Naroays let out a breath of relief, cursed beneath his breath, and walked out cautiously. When he knew he was safe…he ran. Well... while tripping on his heels and cursing madly of course.

-------------

End of Chapter 12

* * *

Okay. So I haven't updated in a long time. And that's because...first of all, I was too worried if this would be a shocking chapter (with all the nakedness and cross-dressing and stuff). I planned to change it and then upload it. But then I forgot and when I got a new computer, I didn't know where all my old files went. Recently I've been browsing through the old files I found and reread a lot of the stuff I wrote (ie. QTP, PB, YMW, Say). I enjoyed rereading everything so immensely I decided to start updating my stories with the stuff I found. Ah...but while rereading I thought, "Wow, I was so creative and daring at that time! I could never write anything like that anymore!" And so I can't guarantee that I will be able to write the same or be able to continue the stories from where I stopped. People change, and I've changed a lot from before (still crazy and quacky as ever though).

Also, thank you to all those who have been patient and supportive and still interested in reading this story! I promise there will be frequent updates in the future with the chapters I have so far! (As long as I know there are still people who are actually still interested in this story!) I love ya'll so please let me know what you think, I'd really appreciate that.

(Btw... I hope you guys drooled...no I mean enjoyed the fanservice!)


	13. A Red Dress Called Desire

Chapter 13: A Red Dress Called Desire

The Princess Bride

Sakura's a normal villager in a little village, like all other girls, adoring the king-to-be, wishing that they were the prince's bride… but then one day she finds herself trying to embrace the fact that she's a princess, she _is _the prince's bride. But while living in the castle… she begins to fall in love with, not the prince, but the _prince's brother_.

**Quackquill's quilly notes**: THIS IS **NOT** BASED ON WILLIAM GOLDMAN'S BOOK THE PRINCESS BRIDE, THIS IS A TOTALLY DIFFERENT STORY WITH NOTHING TO DO WITH THAT BOOK besides a few things.

Enjoy. Cry. Laugh. Smile. _Read._

* * *

Panting, he had finally reached his homely shack. He entered and flung himself heavily upon his bed and inhaled deep breaths of air.

Only increasing his mortification, Tomoyo arrived at the same moment.

She stared at him with a perked brow, "Naroays…might I say that today you're looking exceptionally…extra-ordinary."

He placed his hands on his mask as though the mask still couldn't cover his shame, "This is…gravely humiliating!"

"I am especially fond of those new attachments on your mask, I do love masquerades. Oh, have you heard?" She dipped her hand to raise a bright glass of alcohol to her lips, "About our princess' new welcoming party?"

"Blasted! Argghhh, she _added_ stuff to my mask?! What?" He busily began plucking the distastefully added peacock feathers and glitter off his mask.

"It's to be a ball, a masquerade ball." She sipped her drink subtly.

"Oh." He scoffed, "Oh. I see. I wonder who planned _that_." He yanked off the final feather but in his haste, he accidentally stuffed it into his mouth, causing him to gag and splutter uncontrollably.

Tomoyo snorted, then sneezed alcohol from her nose (but coming from the beautiful mage, even this gesture seemed graceful), "Oh my!" She cried, placing a handkerchief to her mouth much to her mortification, "This _is _a day!"

* * *

"A _what?"_ Sakura exclaimed.

"You heard it. A masquerade ball in honor of the newly discovered princess and to celebrate our engagement…marriage. Whichever. Aren't you just thrilled to your insignificant toes." He shook his spoon to feign excitement.

Sakura merely gaped at him, masquerades meant masks, right? That could only lead to two prince-looking men if Naroays came…or actually the other way around…what on earth was this guy planning?

"I see you're not as dull as I thought." He peered at her inquisitively, "You seem to understand the dilemma here."

Sakura stabbed a chunk of broccoli with her fork, fuming, "I was never dull to begin with, and I know you're planning _something_ if not anything."

"I guess I am the one who devises some tricks beneath the surface, hm, I see you've experienced quite a lot in your life."

She popped the vegetable into her mouth angrily, chewing it brutally, "Shanks to you!"

"It's not becoming to talk while chewing. You must learn to be more ladylike." He grinned at her.

"So you can shoot me while I'm practicing to walk with books on my head." She wrinkled her nose at the thought.

"Don't wrinkle your nose either. How _am _I to make you into a beautiful, proper princess bride? Oh, and you'll be taking vocal lessons as well. I want you to work on that scream." He winked.

She pursed her lips and stabbed a piece of carrot, "Of course."

* * *

Commencement of the immediate preparations. Much was to be done. Not only were maids scurrying about like ants to clean, put up decorations, and cook cook cook, but most importantly, Sakura, who currently had the manners of a donkey, was buried in 'learn to be a lady' lessons. It turned out that the Prince had been serious that morning.

While she was learning to walk in a straight line on heels with books on her head, she continuously prayed that he wouldn't really take her idea and really shoot her then and now…

Three weeks passed, and despite nearly dying of boredom while learning the minute difference between three identical dining forks, she had luckily survived the entire time without running into any assassination attempts. It rather surprised her. They were the safest weeks of her life since she saw that bouncing carriage come up the village's lane. And so, finally everything was ready, including the Princess.

_An hour before the ball_

Sakura sat before the mirror, wincing at the thought of her and the arrogant, bloodthirsty Prince dancing together in the ballroom…holding hands, egh, she could definitely go for barfing during the middle of it all.

But that would just further his plans. She couldn't embarrass herself, at least she could spare her own life by proving her worth… then maybe escape this horrendous dreaded marriage! Now that she thought about it, she really was _engaged _to that devil!

She wanted to scream her lungs out with horror!

Anyways, her thoughts had been overly occupied by that man, she hadn't seen Naroays since that day…she couldn't help bursting into laughter whenever she thought about it!The only thing keeping her burden light was the image of Naorays strutting through the castle in a maid outfit! And for sure he would be at the ball to keep an eye on her… might he ask her to dance? Her dance lessons were fueled by the thought of sweeping the ballroom with him… so long as he wasn't in his beastly costume!

Oh what was she thinking, she had to get dressed quickly. Evening was drawing near.

She had to admit, the dress designed for her _was _indeed lovely, she had never seen such finer silk or ribbons or frills…and it wasn't one of those stocky high-collar ones or stiff ones at the armpits so it would itch. It was _so _nice, soft, and pretty she could fall in love with it…

She sighed and stroked it. Would it look nice on her? The dress was a shade of burgundy and wine-red… it seemed so delicious, she felt like drinking the color in a slender wine glass. To her horror, she suddenly had an image of the Prince drinking her blood from a wine glass and began to feel sick in her stomach. Sakura screamed to herself, "You've gotta purge his awful presence from your brain if you want to live through the night!"

_Dong Dong Dong Dong Dong Dong Dong_

The evening masquerade ball had now begun.

Bouquets of fireworks filled the sky and carriages were pulling up at the castle's large gates. Men and women, all well dressed, entered fashionably with their arms linked to their escorts. Each guest shook hands with the Prince, who showed his white teeth to some 'pretty ladies', causing them to grow faint and collapse. Younger women who floundered about in their new frightfully constrictive vogues whispered about the Prince's dashing features and if he would ask any of them to dance tonight.

But everyone was anxious for the appearance of the Princess.

The women flocked together in their little groups, spreading gossip and rumors about the princess. "Is she lovely? Yes, the fairest in the land. They said she had been found as a gypsy! How scandalous! She was a peasant! How horrendous! No, she had been found as a charming wealthy daughter of another family!" And only that seemed quite acceptable but not quite as sensational.

Indeed, it was all a grand and spectacular event. All the guests enjoyed their brimming wine glasses, beer mugs, towering plates of meat pies and velvety cakes. And of course, everyone had a mask in hand, because how can a masquerade ball be a masquerade ball without the masquerade?

Meanwhile, Tomoyo and Naroays had arrived together and remained somewhat hidden around corners…

Finally, the ballroom darkened and a voice introduced the arrival of the Princess…

_The blare of trumpets_

Hearing her cue, Princess Sakura stood up, but the worst thing possible was happening. Her stomach was simultaneously sinking into nervousness and threatening to lurch out of her throat, her knees were wobbling and she could already imagine herself teetering off the stage into the snickering crowd, all according to the Prince's plan!

She could see the Prince in the corner of her eye, grinning to himself bemusedly and predicting some monstrous disaster. But even his face was becoming a blur because of the pools forming in her eyes.

"No I musn't cry… I won't be as weak as he makes me out to be!" She clenched her fists.

In that very moment she spotted a familiar mask in the crowd, and suddenly a blaze of warmth spread in her body. The tears evaporated as did her fears, and she stepped forward into the spotlight with renewed vigor.

All eyes were glued on her entrance… and the moment she appeared, a sort of magical sparkle emitted from her.

The lights shining on her seemed to actually be coming from her. She held her chin up high, looking down upon her people warmly and yet as though she were of another race. The rumors about her beauty were finally confirmed. The crowd stood aghast, intoxicated by her charm, and could only let out a murmur of awe.

Sakura's wine red dress looked ravishing on her, it flowed and rippled like a river of silk as she walked towards the center of the stage. Her white gloves hugged her slim hands and her glass high heel shoes beneath the frilled hem of her dress caught the light with every step. A sweet pink cherry blossom corsage was prettily set near her heart.

Her hair was half-curled, tickling her bare shoulders, and her bangs dipped at her forehead. A crown of scented, red, pink, and white blossoms were set upon her head, some petals drizzling the places she walked past.

She wore a set of dazzling diamond earrings and diamond necklace that laced her pretty dainty white throat. Her cheeks were flushed and rosy, her eyelashes curled and glittered. Her lips were like a rose bud, sweetly inviting imaginary kisses. The sugar pink mask she held in her hands was sequined, feathered and glossy.

To summarize, she simply looked enchanting.

She curtsied quite deftly and spoke a few grateful words about the warm welcoming from everyone, the grand gifts, and how she would love to sing a bit for everyone in gratitude.

"I'm a bit rusty, so I do hope you'll forgive me." She smiled apologetically.

Many grinned widely, anticipating that her peasant voice would certainly cause her humiliation…

Unfortunately, they were bewildered with a sonorous soprano solo. When she ended gracefully, she heard the unceasing applause and smiled sweetly, but in her mind she had just broken all of the Prince's teeth and sent him flying. Now, nearly fainting, she retreated to the back of the stage, wanting badly to get out of those high heels…

The Prince greeted her with a forced smile, "I see you've been practicing hard. Well, your efforts have been rewarded."

"I'll take that as the best compliment I can get from you." She glared at him, rubbing her sore feet.

He peered down at her feet, then grinned deviously, "Would you care for a dance?"

"I'd rather not actually." She answered.

"I insist." He held out his hand.

Something seemed most menacing in his voice…so she accepted unwillingly, taking his hand and writhing with disgust as he led her to the middle of the ballroom.

It was strange, how he looked so similar to Naroays when he wore a mask…and even worse, the mask was _exactly_ the same. Only his arrogant behavior could separate them.

He held her gently, much to her surprise. He was actually a very graceful dancer, he knew all the correct steps and even dipped and twirled her. If she had not known him to be an arrogant prince, perhaps she would have enjoyed it all actually…

The thought frightened her for a while.

She caught sight of Naroays. He was dancing with Tomoyo.

Seeing them together, laughing and enjoying themselves… she felt a pang in her heart she didn't understand…

Then Naroays spun around and for a second their eyes met. Suddenly, there was a hidden dove in her stomach, and the way it fluttered its wings and brushed against the sides of her stomach didn't feel very comfortable at all.

When he saw her, he felt a desperate urge to speak to her…or at least say hello. But she had been spun around and whisked to a faraway corner by then.

Tomoyo smiled up at him, "Should we greet the Princess now?"

He grunted crankily, "Dunno."

She looked over her shoulder to study the Prince, "The two of you are looking very similar today, only that his tux looks snowy while you're all dusky. Quite a pair."

He snarled, "How dare he wear my mask."

A distant look appeared on Tomoyo's face as she murmured quietly, "He dares to do far worse things…"

Sakura turned her face away from where those two had been dancing and looked up at the Prince. She knew better than to try and talk to him. This swirling was making her sick.

He touched her velvet face with the back of his hand. It was as if he had struck her, her eyes quickly darted a wary glance at the hand as if she were ready to bite it.

"Aren't you lovely this evening, wouldn't you care for a private stroll in the garden?"

"Hell no. It's freezing."

But he had already begun dragging her towards the crisp outside air.

"Don't spoil the romantic mood, dear."

"Tomoyo, he's bringing her outside." Naroays snapped observantly and anxiously.

Tomoyo nodded and they began waltzing after them.

* * *

A crystal fountain with a magnificent waterfall stood in front of her. She sat on one of the marble benches, holding her bare arms and shivering.

The bubbling splashes of cold, icy water sent tingles down her spine as she looked up at the vast, black sky.

The Prince had suddenly disappeared in the shadow and left her alone here in this maze of a garden. She felt cold and afraid, not knowing whether to try to get out and get lost or stay and hope to be found.

The candlelit lamps blew out and she screamed. Darkness…only the eerie green of the water fountain and the increasing roar of the flowing water….

"I knew I shouldn't have come out here, he was planning to do this to me all along!" She said to no one, quivering as a breeze lifted her hair and brushed against her skin.

Footsteps. Was it company? Or was it unwanted company… she hugged herself harder, hardly able to move in the cold.

The footsteps were drawing nearer…nearer…closer… and… a rustling from _behind _her!

"IYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH!" She shrieked, covering her face and head.

"Princess?"

End of Chapter 13

* * *

OH MY GOODNESS. Two things… I haven't updated since the Dark Ages, and they now have this read with white on black feature? Obviously I have not been on FF for a lonnggg time… xDDD (And I'm so angry... I can't do my little cute hyphens anymore =( I hate these longggg dividers!)

Reading this again makes me laugh SO HARD at how WEIRD and hilarious this story is! I stumbled upon all these supperrr olddd drafts of this story and I was just inspired to pick them up and polish them a bit to publish. =P I know this chapter is A LOT more descriptive than previous chapters, and so might be a little less exciting and more boring… I'm sorryy! But I promise you there will be a lot of action/dialogue in the upcoming chapters!

So that's the story of this magical update… that I bet you didn't think was going to happen anymore. ^^;; heeeheeee… so if you're still following this story… you are amazing thank you and I love you, and pleaseeeeee let me know if you're still there! I would love to hear from all of you again ;w;


	14. The Ruse

Chapter 14: The Ruse

The Princess Bride

Sakura's a normal villager in a little village, like all other girls, adoring the king-to-be, wishing that they were the prince's bride… but then one day she finds herself trying to embrace the fact that she's a princess, she _is _the prince's bride. But while living in the castle… she begins to fall in love with, not the prince, but the _prince's brother_.

**Quackquill's quilly notes**: THIS IS **NOT** BASED ON WILLIAM GOLDMAN'S BOOK THE PRINCESS BRIDE, THIS IS A TOTALLY DIFFERENT STORY WITH NOTHING TO DO WITH THAT BOOK besides a few things.

Enjoy. Cry. Laugh. Smile. _Read._

* * *

"Princess?"

Sakura gasped as she spun around. Tears of relief glimmered in her eyes. She leapt from the bench and buried herself into the warm chest…

Naroays froze, a bit shocked by the sudden hug. As a warm feeling thawed his awkward posture, he placed his arms around her and gently pat her shoulders.

"What are you doing alone here?" He mumbled into her hair and took in her scent.

"F-free-ee-zzzzinnnggg!" She trembled.

He immediately pulled off his cloak and wrapped it around her, "I hope this'll keep you warmer."

The edges of her lips twitched into a smile while her teeth kept chattering, "T-tha-nk…y-y-yoouu…"

"Come on, let's get out of here." He grabbed her hand and prepared to dart out of this eerie setting.

"Oh dearie me, trying to escape already?" A high-pitched voice broke out into terrible witch-like laughter.

"What the heck was that?"

"Up here! Yoo-hoo!" The voice cackled from above the fountain.

They looked up. A woman robed in a black Chinese fighting suit and sparkling ruby eyes was perched on the very tip of the fountain. Her white teeth gleamed as she laughed.

Naroays frowned impatiently, "And you happen to be…"

"An assassin. Prepare to taste your own blood!" She flung two star-shaped blades at them.

Naroays immediately nudged Sakura to the side and drew out his sword, just as the two stars whipped past her and hit Naraoys's sword with two loud clangs.

"A duel I see?"

Sakura spun around excitedly, "Tomoyo!'

Tomoyo smiled warmly at Sakura, touching her shoulder, "You look divine tonight."

Sakura blushed, "Thanks, as do you."

Naroays, who was now busy chasing after the girl from tree top to tree top, shouted, "Baka girls! This isn't the time for that!"

Tomoyo shrugged, "Boys, what can you do?" She then raised her index finger and began drawing circles in the air with her eyes closed. When she chanted a short spell… a green shaft of light shot up from the ground and encircled Sakura.

"What's this?" Sakura tested moving her hand in and out of the barrier with much amusement.

"It's a shield to keep you safe, but it won't last for much longer. I suggest you escape now." Tomoyo urged Sakura to run away to somewhere safer.

"B-but you two…"

"We'll be fine, we won't be in much trouble. So hurry!"

"Thanks. Both of you." Sakura turned on her heels and began running in the direction Tomoyo had nudged her, although now that she thought about it she had no idea where she was heading…

Tomoyo interjected herself into the battle, pushing Naroays aside as he was looking for the assassin, "You dimwit, go protect her!"

He growled, "Let me finish this pest off first!" He spun his sword to make a barely audible whizzing noise. The vibration paralyzed the assassin. Naorays suddenly appeared in front of the girl, who screeched as he deftly stabbed her.

She fell from her perch on the tree, defeated.

"Pfft, too easy." He scoffed and then chased after Sakura anxiously.

Tomoyo bent down worriedly. When she touched the girl she recognized a lingering aura, "Looks like you were being controlled by _him._ Too bad for him he doesn't understand how taking over another's soul leaves a resistant, weak body. She put up such a pathetic fight." She smiled to herself, beginning to heal the girl with sorcery.

Turned out Tomoyo had not given up sorcery entirely after feeling guilty from betraying Sakura, but just dark sorcery. Now she had decided to devote herself to healing and protecting…goodbye shady deals!

Meanwhile, two azure eyes watched her silently, preparing to strike…

* * *

"Oof!" Sakura tumbled to the floor after tripping over her dress, "These shoes are such a pain!"

She sighed and began searching for her lost shoe.

"Looking for this?"

Sakura looked up and smiled, it was Naroays holding her glass shoe.

"Thanks, I'll take it." She struggled to stand up.

He stopped her and kneeled down, "No need, allow me to assist you." He held her ankle and slipped the shoe back onto her foot.

She could sense that something was off as she took his hand, his voice was a bit…

"Shall we go in and dance?" He bowed.

"Erm, where's Tomoyo?" She glanced around warily.

"Back there, she's taking care of the assassin."

"I see…"

"Wait! Princess!" Another voice called.

Sakura suddenly stumbled backwards in confusion. What was this? _Two _Naroays!

"Huh?" They both looked at each other, stunned.

The first one pointed his finger accusingly at the other in shock, "Don't mock me, Prince!"

"What the heck are you talking about! I'm not any damn Prince!" The second one pointed back at him, "You're that Prince."

Sakura bit her lip and pulled at her hair, "WHAT THE HELL!" She screamed, "I KNEW THIS WOULD HAPPEN!"

"Princess, listen to me," One of them said, she couldn't even tell which was which any longer, "I'm the real one, remember I saved you from those bandits!"

The other seemed flustered and pointed to himself, "Don't even think about listening to _him_! I'm the real one! I saved you from that prison cell thing!"

The other made a strangling noise and continued, "But I'm the one who turned into the monster before you! And wore a maid dress!"

Sakura gasped, "Then you're…"

The other one groaned, "How the heck did you know that, that was me! Look, I just fought the assassin and I have blood on my sword!" He pulled it out and revealed it.

"As do I." The other pulled out his.

"Well… yesterday I accidentally sat on a cat!"

"What! I did no such thing!"

Sakura gripped her dress and gulped, "I-I think… I-I! Who cares about what I think! Why are both of you trying to prove yourself! What's the point! Who cares! I don't care! I'm starving from all these life-or-death situations and am going to eat something!" She turned around and continued walking.

They both grabbed her hand, so she was torn between looking at the two of them, "Princess, I just want to prove to you that I'm not the Prince so you can trust me!"

"Why should you trust him when I'm the real one!"

Sakura, furious, wriggled her hands out of both of their grasps and stalked on, then she stopped and turned to the both of them with an idea.

"So. Since _neither _of you are the Prince. I'd like to know what you think the Prince is up to by doing this." She placed her hands on her hips.

They both looked at each other hatefully, then one of them said, "Erm, well…I guess he wants to confuse you?"

"What's the use of confusing me?"

"So that…so that… so that he can…so you lose your trust in the real Naroays maybe?" The other one said.

"How about you both take off your masks, so I can look at whose mask is the real one." She grinned.

One of them took it off immediately, and held it out to her, "Look, I'm the real one."

The other had hesitated… Sakura turned to him inquiringly, "Why didn't you take off your mask?"

He shrugged, "I…I don't usually take it off…so…"

Sakura beamed at him and turned to the other, grabbing his mask from him, "You damn low-life! How dare you try to impersonate Naroays and do this to me! This was a stupid trick!" She slapped him hard.

The Prince brought a hand to his cheek but merely looked back at her, smiled and said, "But now you know it'll be hard to trust him whenever you see him."

She looked a little uncomfortable and taken aback, because he was right.

"And I don't want you to trust him, because…" He leaned towards her and grabbed her arm, looking at her strangely, "I won't try to kill you anymore _if…"_

Naroays and Sakura both looked at him suspiciously, waiting…

"If you never meet with him _again_."

* * *

Tomoyo smiled, the girl was finally healed. She was glad she had given up such dark sorcery to help others instead of making such cruel deals…and most of all, Sakura had forgiven her so lovingly she swore she would forever love her and help her…

But something troubled Tomoyo.

The girl had been a puppet…but a puppet of, she could smell it, a strong magic hand. The source was very near too, behind her she supposed.

She stood up and placed the girl on a bench, then waited patiently.

The azure eyes watched silently…seeing that she was merely waiting. She was forcing him to make a move first.

The figure stepped out of the bushes, somewhat surprising Tomoyo.

She looked up serenely, "So my speculation was correct. It is you."

The figure smiled, "We haven't met for many years."

As her eyes explored his gaunt features her expression turned into sorrow, "You have changed so much. Hirigazawa Eriol."

Eriol grinned, "And you haven't either, Daidouji Tomoyo."

Seeing his vicious expression, Tomoyo snarled and stood up, "Have you come to fight me? Don't you remember the result from many years ago?"

"Oh, but I have changed, remember? I am prepared, I have trained and been assisted by the Prince himself, the mighty one, the merciful one."

"You praise him as though he were a god!" She grit her teeth, "Sorcerers should never worship a single being!"

"But he is not a being," Eriol smiled as he spun his hands following the shape of a star, and then produced a golden rod from his blue cloak which he slashed through the air, "He is a _supreme _being!"

Tomoyo screamed as a blade of ice struck her from behind and dug deep into her back, she looked up at him ruefully, "I will not fight you."

"Oh? Why not?" He waved his staff and she screamed again.

"I have given up dark magic. It has brought too much misfortune upon me." She was breathing heavily.

"A pity. You were a great dark sorceress." He cackled and this time she was lifted up in the air and he began strangling her with invisible strings around her throat.

Tomoyo closed her eyes despite the struggle, a mist began to wrap around her until the fog grew thicker and thicker…and she disappeared.

Eriol moved his rod angrily, piercing the air wherever he could, but there was no trace of her. Then he looked down on the ground and smiled, blood marks.

Tomoyo lifted her invisible finger and touched him slightly.

"No!" He shouted as if her touch had pierced through his flesh, and he dodged her presence, "Don't touch me…"

She resumed to being visible, her eyes still closed…

"You _saw _didn't you," He growled angrily, "Then I have no secrets to keep from you. I was not controlled by _him! _I chose to serve him, and though I failed, he killed me and that only made me stronger!"

"You're no longer alive." A teardrop trickled down her cheek, and she screamed fiercely, "How dare you sell your soul and body for _him_!"

He grinned cruelly, "That's right, I sold myself to him for more power…each time he kills and revives me from the dead, I receive more and more strength! _Dark, evil, powerful strength_!" He began cackling.

She opened her eyes, revealing snowy white pupils that burned with ther iciness, "Hirigazawa…your lust for power will destroy you…"

His mouth was still curled, "And may your soppy kindness cause you pain!"

Tomoyo let lashes of icy sleet whip him, but he deflected it easily and stabbed her with more ice in her back. Again and again they dueled, but his strength was indeed incredibly evil…

Tomoyo collapsed on the side of the fountain, her body bleeding and her hands trembling weakly, "Eriol… I… I believed… that you… you could return to me… I guess I was wrong…" She clung onto the crystal fountain. Her body was slumped over the fountain's edge, and she dug her head deep in her arms with heart-wrenching sobs.

Eriol stood still, watching her. He could make his last move and she would be over. But instead, he walked up to her and held her head, touched her hair and smelled her sweet lilac fragrance… he felt an even deeper quiver of lust within him as he lifted her chin and brushed his hand against her snowy skin.

"Do you… Tomoyo… do you still…" His voice trembled as his cruel eyes softened and he saw what his dark side had done to her.

She whispered through her teeth despite the hurt she felt all over, "If you might return…"

A wave of nostalgia rushed over him. Eriol dropped his rod…_clink_… and gently held Tomoyo. He folded his arms around her frail yet still beautiful body.

"I… I promise I will do my best…"

* * *

"You musn't ever meet him again."

Sakura's eyes widened, "What? Never meet… and… you won't keep trying to kill me…? Why can't I see Naroays?"

The Prince looked at him disdainfully, "It's a rather complicated matter."

Sakura looked at Naroays, who was hiding his feelings beneath his mask. Their eyes met and he turned his head away.

Sakura bit her lip and was about to answer but he answered for her, "I won't see her again, I promise. Just keep her safe." And then briskly disappeared.

"Wait! Naroays!" She chased after him but she couldn't reach him before he had already disappeared… she gripped the cloak he had given her, "You! You can't just decide for me!" She yelled at nobody.

The Prince grinned, "Don't worry, you still have me by your side. Whenever you want to see his little face," He grabbed the mask from her hand and plopped it onto his face, "He's right here! Peek-a-boo!"

She looked at him with upset eyes, snatching the mask away from him, "Don't mock me you brainless low-life." And she began walking away.

The Prince cackled and chased after her, grabbing her hand, "What do you ever mean? Oh, are you that sad?" He stopped her and lowered his head near hers, grinning widely in her face, "Don't tell me that you…" He whispered, "_like him_?"

Sakura blushed madly and slapped him, but missed because he had already moved away, "Never! How could I ever like that guy! He's just! Just! Urgh! You're so despicable how can you be a prince! How can you be king!"

"The king has all the power in the land, wouldn't you like to be the queen? I didn't want to at first, but now, I'm willing to share it with you. You're quite fun to play with…"

"No. I don't want to be married to someone like you, ever!" She spat in his face.

He paused, his tone switching from annoyingly mocking to cruel and menacing, "Princess, just because I won't kill you, it doesn't mean I still can't hurt you…_badly_."

Sakura shivered, pursing her lips so she wouldn't say anything.

"So," He smiled wickedly, "Would you care for another dance?"

Naroays tore across the starry night sky, sprinting away as quickly as possible…

Something within him made him feel so…aggravated…hurt. He pulled at his chest as he zig zagged through the darkness. He wanted to protect the Princess so he had promised to never see her again, shouldn't he be glad? That he wouldn't need to get close to her…so that he wouldn't need to have any relations to the castle and the Prince..…

Yet here he was, feeling terrible and running away as though he were some heartbroken loser. Perhaps it was just fatigue, he would never feel any emotions for that kind of girl! Impossible! But…

He remembered how he had transformed before her, what had happened then? He had always been curious, she hadn't gotten hurt and didn't seem afraid of him, unlike everyone he'd met in his beastly form before. For sure he thought she would fear him for the rest of his life after seeing such a transformation, but she hadn't. She had hardly seemed traumatized.

Anyways, there was no use thinking about her any longer, they could never meet again. This would all be for her own good, and his as well. It was better this way…he continuously told himself…it was better this way…

End of Chapter 14

* * *

A/N: gasp...an update... For all of you who were so patient with me... T-T Thank you so much for continuing with this story, I hope you found this chapter fun. =) Oh you smarties who guessed right (and predictably so), that it was Naroays behind her haha. But how many of you expected that there was going to be a mask-off during this masquerade... ^^ I tried to make the bantering consistent, ("one of them... the other...") etc, so can you guess who was who the entire time? Brownie/cookie/blondie points to you if you get it right, so let me know! Or yell at me for failing to make it obvious haha.

And srsly Naroays, noble idiocy? Pfft, how long do you think that's going to last...? ;)


	15. The Lost Soul

Chapter 15: The Lost Soul

The Princess Bride

Sakura's a normal villager in a little village, like all other girls, adoring the king-to-be, wishing that they were the prince's bride… but then one day she finds herself trying to embrace the fact that she's a princess, she _is _the prince's bride. But while living in the castle… she begins to fall in love with, not the prince, but the _prince's brother_.

**Quackquill's quilly notes**: THIS IS **NOT** BASED ON WILLIAM GOLDMAN'S BOOK THE PRINCESS BRIDE, THIS IS A TOTALLY DIFFERENT STORY WITH NOTHING TO DO WITH THAT BOOK besides a few things.

Enjoy. Cry. Laugh. Smile. _Read._

* * *

"Ah, Sakura!"

Sakura, who had been feeling glum and dreadful while holding the Prince's arm and entering the ballroom again, looked up and brightened immediately.

"Touya! Did you come as well! It's great to see you!" She smiled, releasing the Prince's arm and rushing to Touya's side.

"Oh, we've met before." the Prince grinned unpleasantly.

Touya held Sakura fast and glared indignantly at the Prince, "Good evening, your highness."

"It's been a long time! Let's dance together!" Sakura hurriedly pulled Touya away from the Prince.

Sakura laughed happily as she spun with Touya, "It reminds me of old times, doesn't it?" She beamed.

Touya smiled pleasantly, "How has your new life been."

Sakura rolled her eyes and answered sarcastically, "Oh _great_, and definitely thrilling in some _special _ways! But I definitely wish I could return to the country with you all! I don't even mind being called a country bumpkin anymore, it's much better than being a princess."

Touya watched Sakura sadly, as though all of this had been his fault, "Has the Prince been treating you awfully."

Sakura didn't even dare bat an eyelash at the Prince who was flirting with some other ladies, "That bitch has been treating me awfully, I wish I could tear him to pieces. I don't want to get married to him! Couldn't you help me?" She pleaded.

Touya inhaled sharply, then looked about, "I don't really know Sakura, this might be the only fate for you. _But…"_

"But what?" She whispered excitedly and hopefully…

"You should know the secret by now." Touya whispered back.

"Is it even a secret? How do you know about it too?" Sakura narrowed her eyes.

"I've been around enough to know the darkest corners of this castle." He frowned, "But I'm sure you can do it, Sakura."

"Do what?" She looked at him, puzzled.

"Defeat him." He glanced over at the Prince, "And eventually…kill him."

Sakura gasped, "Touya! I never knew you were so!" Though she did feel giddy about wrenching the Prince's neck off…

"No, no." Touya somewhat laughed, "Not literally. I mean, well, you'd have to know their whole history before understanding."

"Understand what? And what history? Couldn't you explain to me?" Sakura wrinkled her eyebrow.

"I don't think it's possible for us to talk here and now, but one day I'll explain. And keep an eye out on that guy, don't let him do anything to you. You're in grave danger in his hands."

Sakura sighed heavily, "I already know that, I've been through a lot already, trust me."

"This dance is ending." Touya smiled sadly, giving Sakura a peck on the forehead, "You've grown so much, just yesterday I saw you as a child."

Sakura smiled broadly, "I'm glad I could see you again."

Touya looked around hesitatingly, and then reached into his pockets. He quickly placed the bag into Sakura's palm, closed her fingers over it and gave her hand a tight squeeze.

"This is from Yuki, he misses you dearly and has not been in normal spirits since he last saw you." Touya's face showed a cloud of sadness.

Sakura returned Touya's expression with a wistful look, "Give Yuki my love."

"Of course."

* * *

Sakura began to fidget on the edge of the large bed. Why did it have to be this way? Being in this situation was tantamount to suicide!

"I'll take the bath first, or would you like to join me?"

Sakura nearly barfed. "Not a chance!" She refused and stayed in the bedroom. Since their engagement had been announced, it was according to royal tradition that they would spend a night together to '_fulfill their love desires'_. Sakura wanted to crawl into her stomach and hurl, but with so many eyes on her as the Princess, she hadn't been able to escape.

Now trapped, she couldn't go into the bed in fear that she would fall asleep and wake up finding he had done something terrible to her. She also couldn't leave with all those guards lined up in front of the room's door.

Her nightgown was so thin it was almost see-through, she had to hug her knees to hide herself. Something about his large, dark and drafty room frightened her, and all those other dark scary thoughts in her mind made her shiver constantly.

She turned her attention to her small bag of treasured items that she carried with her everywhere. She took out the two clay figurines from the two bags Yuki had given her. Each were the size of her palm, the first one she had received on her birthday, the same day she'd left that simple life, had the shape of a wolf, and the second Touya passed on to her had the shape of a bird.

Sakura smiled to herself while inspecting the crudely shaped clay pieces, "Yuki always wanted to be a craftsman. What did he call these again? Talismans? He's soooo adorable…!"

Then she took out the mask she had hidden and kept from earlier. Although it was from the Prince and Naroays had not worn this mask, it still reminded her of his musky scent and large figure that always held and protected her when she needed it. And the way he had pressed her against his chest to shield her from getting hurt…she had this aching, sore feeling that was only building up every minute.

But he had been the one to accept the promise for her safety. The moment he had accepted the deal and ran away as if she meant nothing to him, her heart had sunk and she felt as if she might die, even though her death was sealed away because of the deal.

Still, she'd rather welcome death than experience this night with that dreadful Prince!

She quickly stowed away the mask when she heard the Prince finishing up his bath. Hopefully he wouldn't walk in here _naked._ Having Naroays in her bed naked that night was bad enough. At least he had been decent to wear a dress though, she began laughing her insides out on the inside when she thought about it. She always thought about that incident. And the dog-human…she couldn't stop the laughing.

"Hm, still not asleep?" The Prince grinned as he entered the room.

He sat on the bed beside her, nothing between them but the air and his robe. He was most likely not wearing anything beneath. Ewe…

"Frightened, my little kitty, aren't you?" He cackled, placing an arm around her.

She wanted to snap his arm in half, not that she could even if she tried.

"This wasn't my idea, really. I've never trusted anyone to lay by my side for a night." He pretended to sigh, "But I just had to follow the royal customs. Afterall, it sounded so…_deliciously evil."_

Everything about him was evil already.

"Why don't we enjoy this night together? It won't be so terrible." He began opening the covers and crawling in.

"I'm not very sleepy…"

"Well, we don't have to sleep. There are other activities we can do…" He grinned.

"Er, actually, I'd much rather sleep." She crawled in too, edging to the very, very, very edge of the bed opposite of him.

"So far away? Come closer, we are engaged after all." He tugged at her arm.

"No, no…it's really okaaaayyyy!" He had pulled her all the way to his side so her nose was mashed into his hairy chest.

It smelled nothing like Naroays' chest, but instead of heavy perfumes and incenses, she had to hold her breath.

To her surprise and relief, he didn't touch her, but merely held her and suddenly began snoring. She glanced up to see him peacefully sleeping, and then carefully detached herself from him.

Yes! The lavendar chamomile soap that makes people fall asleep in minutes had worked afterall. She'd received it from Tomoyo as a gift when she was sick, but putting it in the bathroom for the Prince to use had worked to keep his grimy hands off of her!

Still, she wasn't going to sleep at all tonight! What if he suddenly woke up in the middle of the night and went evilly crazy? And what if this was actually a trap to make her feel safe when she wasn't!

Thus, she stayed awake to watch him warily. But Sakura didn't notice that in her bag, the bird-shaped talisman from Yuki had started **glowing**.

Instead, she was too focused on the fact that He had woken up again, and seemed a lot different from usual.

He was _crying._

Sakura had nearly dozed off to sleep when she heard him sniffing. Did she smell anywhere? She began sniffing herself, until she heard a whimper. Was he hurt?

"Er… Prince?"

He turned around slowly and his face was frightiningly pale and his expression was…so different, so unusual. He was _really_ _crying_, not pretending. Shocking.

"Are you…are you _crying?"_

The different Prince wiped his face and shook his head, then looked at her again in amazement, "Who…who are you?"

Sakura gaped, "Um…the Princess, remember?"

He shook his head. There was an awkward silence.

"Is this… a dream?" She asked in disbelief.

"I don't know…" Then after a long pause he continued, slowly and dreamlike, "I usually wake up like this. I don't know where I am…usually I'm floating around in some other place. But on some nights I sort of find myself like this… do…do you know who I am?"

Sakura looked at him oddly, "Aren't you the Prince?"

"Am I?" He sniffed, "I don't know. I think this is my real body but…but…I don't really know."

Well, nor do I… this is sooo weird, thought Sakura, but she didn't say it.

"Anyways, what happens to you in the morning?" She asked curiously.

"I go back to floating around. I really don't like it. I'm always very cold and lonely when that happens. I don't remember anything, I don't think it used to be like this…"

Sakura nodded sympathetically, "So you're a confused lost soul."

"I think so. I've always thought that this might be my real body, but I'm always afraid because if _he _finds out I did something in his body that I think is mine…" He shuddered in fear.

"Huh? Who's _he?"_

"_He_ owns this body."

Sakura stared at him, confused, "So you mean…there's this scary person who's not you, who takes over this body during the daytime and acts as the Prince, and whenever he sleeps you can return? Where does he go when he's 'sleeping'?"

"I… think that's right. I think he leaves the body when he's sleeping to do something else. Maybe eat babies or flesh." he sniffled.

Sakura wrinkled her nose disgustedly, "How fitting." Then she reached out to gently touch this confused soul's hand, "Well, you're a lot nicer than him."

"I'm just scared." He sniffled, wiping his nose, "This is the first time I ever met someone as nice as you. This is the first time I've ever met anyone."

Sakura smiled. She thought about Naroays. These two had more in common than their faces, they had these double personalities, a beast and a timid side. Although she didn't know if Naroays could be considered the timid side…

Still, this was terribly confusing. Where was this lost soul during the daytime if this body actually belonged to him? And then who was this second, evil soul acting as the Prince as she knew him?

First of all, how could a body have _two _souls? How come Naroays turned into a beast on certain nights? So many questions, nobody to give the right answers! It was all so puzzling. Did _she_ turn into someone else when she slept? How would she know anyways, one couldn't be awake while they were sleeping, that would be odd.

"Do you have a name?" She asked.

"None that I know of. What is the name of my body?"

"The Pri-actually, Syaoran." She smiled.

"Is that so." He rubbed his eyes a little cheerfully, "That sounds kinda nice."

"Yes, I think so too. I'm glad I met _you, _the real owner of this body."

"But…but don't tell _him _that I still return to this body…he might stop me from coming back ever." He shivered, "Please keep it a secret… _he_ will know if you tell anybody."

"I promise I won't tell." _But I will have to ask somebody about this?_ She kept this thought to herself.

"I have to leave now…goodbye." He sniffled.

"Bye." Sakura waved a little.

He closed his eyes and Sakura withdrew her hand to scratch her muddled brain, what on earth had just happened? But before she could reflect on it…

His eyes opened suddenly. Sakura was ready to leap out of the bed.

He seemed somewhat drowsy and sleepy, was he drunk? He stank of alcohol.

Just as she was climbing out of the bed, he grabbed her wrist and moaned. She wanted to scream but he gripped her hard and was beginning to make moves on her. She struggled and attempted to push him off but he kept groaning and pushing himself on her.

Something in the back of her throat made her unable to make a sound, but she continued struggling until she felt his stinky mouth touch her face…then she really screamed.

For a moment he stopped because of her shrilly voice and she was able to push him off. She successfully rolled out of the bed and got to her feet, hugging herself.

"You _bastard_!" She gasped, feeling tears of fear roll down her cheeks.

The Prince merely cackled, which boiled her anger further. She grabbed her sack and ran out past the now sleeping and intoxicated guards, away…as far as she could… from him.

She would forever hate that beast within that body! How she pitied the floating soul that yearned to own his own body…how she wished _that _were the true prince, the true Syaoran!

She made here way outside beneath the dark sky and tall, billowing trees. She sat somewhere and began to cry. Who knew what he could have done to her…she was still trembling with fear…

* * *

A/N: OK... fine, don't comment and let me know what you think so far...I guess the beginning chapters are harder to read b/c they switched up the formatting and deleted all my spacers..! grr it's been so long lol. thank you to all of you who are still sticking with me! Honestly..!


End file.
